


when the dragons grow too mighty to slay with pen or sword

by soulpunkk



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Magic, jacksepticeye is vaguely mentioned, there are a couple other ships but they're pretty background, what a gay mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-03 03:27:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 38,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14559852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soulpunkk/pseuds/soulpunkk
Summary: when dan avidan hears the legend of an evil dragon that hoards stolen music, he knows that it's his chance to leave his boring bardic life and become an adventurer. what he doesn't know is how big of a fucking mess he's about to get himself into, and how one man with a shit eating grin is going to change his whole life.





	when the dragons grow too mighty to slay with pen or sword

**Author's Note:**

> WOW so this fic has been in the works for more than a year now and !! its finally here!! big thanks to [will](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wentzways) and [emma](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reject_mikeyy) for betaing and also dealing w me talking about this au for far longer than it necessitates lmao ! this fic was heavily inspired by the lovely [wispmother's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wispmother) fic, [seven thousand steps](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4710752/chapters/10758770), so go give that a read if u havent already! enjoy this gay hell!

Dan liked his life. He had it pretty good, working as a bard and traveling from tavern to tavern with nothing more than his lute and his wits about him. He met tons of interesting people and heard tons of interesting things. Dan considered himself a pretty worldly dude; he’d seen and lived enough to have amassed a pretty good repertoire of secondhand knowledge and stories. But some nights, a cold, heavy feeling settled in Dan’s gut: a creeping sense of unfulfillment, of boredom with the life he led. Sure, Dan loved the creativity that came with playing music for a living and the thrill of not knowing where he’d end up next, but deep down? He wanted to be an _adventurer_. He wanted daring sword fights and desperate chases and unlikely friends and broken sing-alongs under the stars. He wanted a sense of purpose, a _real_ purpose, something he could fight for and believe in. Something bigger than strumming out background ambiance in taverns full of drunks and gamblers. But that reality was a world away, a fantasy world of knights and dragons and fairy tales. A world Dan just wasn’t a part of.

So he resigned himself to hearing the tales of the men and women that visited the inns he secured gigs at, of their fights against mythical creatures and mysterious forces and insurmountable odds. Sometimes listening to those stories would quell his thirst for adventure; he figured that being a musician for a living provided more than enough uncertainty and danger for a lifetime. No death defying battles required.

On this particular night, Dan found himself at his friend Vernon’s inn, a warm, cozy little place where the food was good and the tips were generous. Dan found himself there a lot, both for the relaxing atmosphere and the kindness of Vernon and his friend Jack, who kept the inn running smoothly. The night outside was clear and a warm wind blew in through the open windows as Dan sang softly to the tavern. Vernon and Jack were stowed away in a corner, gathered by a fireplace among two cloaked figures. Dan tensed for a moment, knowing that concealed figures usually meant trouble. But Vernon and Jack looked completely at ease, like there was nothing threatening at all about the two people in front of them. _That’s probably fine_ , Dan reasoned, if only to quell his own mind of the possibility that it wasn’t. After watching a little longer out to the corner of his eye, Dan noticed that Jack and Vernon seemed to be listening intently to whatever the hooded figures were saying, sitting on the edge of their seats and hanging off the strangers’ every word. _Oh_ , Dan figured, _they must be storytellers._

Dan finished the song he was singing, earning him a respectable amount of applause and a few coins in his no-longer-empty tankard. Curious about his friends and their conversation, Dan thanked his listeners before throwing his lute over his shoulder and heading over to the fireplace. The storytellers surely wouldn’t mind another listener.

Dan gave Vernon a small smile as he approached, his footsteps underscored by the warm crackling of the fireplace. “May I?” he asked, gesturing towards an open seat and a sending friendly grin towards the two strangers.

“Sure,” Vernon nodded, smiling happily at Dan. “If you two are alright with it?” he amended, looking to the two cloaked figures.

“Of course,” came a deep voice from within one of the hoods. It seemed to rumble from within the man’s hood, resonating in his chest like distant thunder. The hooded man turned to address Dan. “What is your name, young traveler?” His voice was slow, but kind, regarding Danny warmly.

“Daniel,” he said, and then, “Danny.”

“Danny,” the other figure said, her voice high and sweet. She hummed a little, thinking something over. “We were about to tell Vernon and Jack a legend about the evil dragon _Dissonyth_. Would you care to hear?” Dan raised an eyebrow. She had him at “evil dragon”. That sounded pretty fucking rad.

“I would love to hear it,” Danny said, because he figured that “ _Hell fuckin’ yeah_ ,” came across a little too strongly.

The two figures turned to each other, bowing their heads into a quiet conversation before nodding and turning to their little audience. Danny swore he saw the shadows of their lips curled up in excited smiles.

“Legend has it that up in the northern mountains,” came the man’s voice, “there resides a dragon, large and evil with scales that catch moonlight like the ocean on a winter’s night.”

“The beast is known by the name of Dissonyth, and he is the sworn guardian of a collection of ancient music,” the woman said. Dan’s eyes widened. Ancient music?

“He hordes thousands upon thousands of scrolls, each one containing a song written many years ago by composers long dead. The songs were the most beautiful the kingdom had to offer, said to bring joy and happiness to anyone who heard them. But the dragon presides over them even now, selfishly keeping the beautiful music for himself.” The man paused for a moment before continuing, losing the rich sophistication that had coated his words a second before. “Which is kind of a dick move because he’s a fucking _dragon_ , he can’t read _or_ play music. He’s just a dick.”

“Yeah,” the woman piped up, “he’s a total asshole.”

The two cloaked figures sighed, shaking their heads as if to shake the thought of how douchey the dragon was from their minds. Danny had to hold back from giggling. “Anyways,” the man continued. “It’s prophesied that one day the dragon will be slain and the songs will be recovered. The sweet, secret beauty of their music will made available for all to enjoy again by a valiant dragonslayer.”

“But until then, Dissonyth will remain in his mountain, keeping the kingdom’s most beautiful music to himself,” the woman finished. Danny frowned. Yeah, that dragon _was_ a dick. Dan’s couldn’t help but notice that his heart was racing, the thrill of the adventure already running through his veins. _A prophecy. The spells are to be recovered by a dragonslayer._ Dan’s eyes widened in exhilaration. _That could be me._

He realized what he was thinking and quickly shook the thought out of his head, thanking the figures for their story and moving back to his small stage. _This_ was his place, spreading music for people to enjoy in a way that wouldn’t end up with him becoming dragon breakfast. He was safe here. Happy, even. Still, there was always that tiny part of him, the part of his heart that always wanted _more_ from life. The part that wanted to drop everything and set off on an adventure _right now_. The part of him that was screaming _But Dan, what if this is your fate? Or worse: what if it’s your only chance to mean something?_ And as Danny looked across the largely apathetic crowd of travelers in front of him and thought about the mystery of the lost music and how much joy he could bring to the world, he decided that for once, he was going to listen to that tiny voice. He was going to go on an adventure.

Danny finished up his set and thanked the inn goers, picking up the tankard people had dropped their tips into and slinging his lute back over his shoulder. Night had fully fallen, clear moonlight streaming into the inn. The two storytellers were alone now, Vernon and Jack busy closing up shop for the night. Feeling a nervous excitement coursing through his veins, Danny made his way over to the figures.

“Danny,” he man regarded him, nodding his head in acknowledgement.

“The story you told about the dragon,” Dan said, forcing the words out before they got stuck in his throat. “Was it true?”

The hooded storytellers turned to one another slowly, looking at each other intensely for a moment before turning back to Dan. Moving in perfect synchronization, the two pulled off their hoods and revealed their faces to Dan. The man had short, dark hair and a scruffy beard, peering at Dan with eyes that were equal parts kind and exhausted. The woman had bright eyes framed with black paint and dark hair that framed her small face, a single streak of blonde falling by her right cheek.

“Yes, Dan,” the woman said, “the story is true.” She sounded nervous, as if she didn’t want to say it out loud. “Dissonyth lives in the mountains just north of here, where he hides the ancient music.”

“But,” the man said, his brow furrowed, “the quest to defeat the dragon is a challenging and cumbersome one, one that requires a sharp wit and skill beyond measure.” Well, Dan had neither of those, but he’d already committed to the idea in his head, so there was really no stopping him now.

“But the music,” Dan breathed, nothing but wonder in his voice.

The two storytellers smiled a little. “Yeah,” the man said. “It’s more beautiful than anything you’ve ever heard before.” Danny sighed in awe.

Noticing the stars in Dan’s eyes, the two figures turned to each other nervously. Dan couldn’t overhear what they were saying, but it seemed that the woman was trying to convince the man of something. He begrudgingly gave in, as if it were his last option.

“Let us introduce ourselves,” the man finally said as he turned back to Dan. “My name is Barry, and this is my wife, Suzy. Dan, if you really want to do this, you need to be prepared for the dangers ahead. This is a lot bigger than you think.” And yeah, Dan got that Barry was giving him a genuine warning and being really foreboding and cryptic and genuine, but all Dan could hear was _adventure, adventure, adventure_. His pulse was beating so hard that he could feel it all throughout his body, his limbs electrified with the need to _go_. He _had_ to do this, it was his _destiny_.

“Barry, Suzy,” Dan said, looking at the two as kindly as he could, “I appreciate the warnings, but this is something I have to do.” Because if he didn’t, he wasn’t sure an opportunity like this would ever arise again. For all he knew, this was his last shot at finally starting his life.

The two stared at him in hard silence, their lips pursed with concern, clearly not buying his impulsive, idealistic bullshit. Suzy was the first to speak. “Alright. If you know this is for you, we can’t stop you. But _please_ be careful. I have the feeling you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.” Danny nodded. He definitely did not. Suzy nodded in return. “You’ll need to make it through the woods to reach Dissonyth’s mountain.” Barry shuffled around before producing a map from his cloak and handing it to Dan.

“Keep your wits about you and stay on your toes,” he said. Another moment of silence before Barry spoke again, something warm glowing in his eyes. “Good luck, adventurer.” Dan could only hope that look was faith, not pity.

“Thank you,” Danny nodded gratefully, clutching onto the map tightly as he stood and walked towards the door. He waved his goodbyes to Vernon and Jack before leaving the inn, walking out of the life he’d come to know and into an unknown world.

Dan entered the woods just behind the inn, the shining moonlight illuminating the forest floor. All he has on him was his lute, Barry and Suzy’s map, a small pouch of food and water, and his good attitude. An attitude so good, in fact, that he spent the whole night walking through the woods, humming happily to himself and letting his gut guide his steps. His mind was full of thoughts of freedom and adventure; his heart was soaring through the treetops above him. He was _doing something, going somewhere, being someone._ This was real, important, meaningful. Dan had something to fight for, something to pursue. He was _alive_.

Dan kept walking until the sun began to rise, making him aware of just how long he’d been walking for. His exhaustion overcame him as he found a tree to rest under, settling in between its mossy roots. The world was a peachy gold as he fell asleep, the fatigue from walking all night lulling him into a deep slumber. Dan knew this was the start of a wonderful adventure.

 

Dan’s dumbass idealism started to fade the second he woke up.

It turned out that sleeping on the forest floor propped up against a knotted old tree did some fucking terrible things to your back. Almost as terrible as what walking all night had done to Dan’s knees. He woke up feeling more sore than he’d ever felt in his entire life, an ugly detail of adventuring that Dan now realised was always conveniently left out of the glorious stories he’d heard. He pushed himself up off the ground, brushing the dirt off his body. He looked to his left. Then his right. Oh god. Where the hell had he come from?

Looking at his map proved fruitless, since maps were practically useless without a reference point, a compass, and/or an inkling of adventuring knowledge, so Dan just sort of… picked a direction and started walking. The day dragged on, Dan’s feet aching and his lute weighing heavily on his back. As his supplies slowly dwindled Dan began to suspect that he’d been walking in circles for the past few hours, but seeing as everything in the woods looked the exact fucking same, there was no way for him to know for sure. Everything was green and golden, from the moss on the ground to the sunlight streaming through the canopy to the glimpses of creatures Dan could see scurrying through the underbrush. Which was all whimsical and magical and beautiful, sure, but aesthetics could only tide Dan over for so long. He was hungry and tired and completely lost, and as the sun set on his first full day of adventuring, he found himself missing the comfort of a blanket and pillow. Maybe running in blind hadn’t been his brightest idea.

Dan woke up with a dangerously low food supply and an even lower morale. Something needed to change, and fast. Dan set off at a quicker pace than normal, motivated by his annoyance at the lack of progress he was making.

And lucky for Dan, things did start to change. Only not necessarily for the better. As Dan walked on, the sounds of birds singing got softer and the trees grew closer together, creating such a dense canopy above him that almost no sunlight could get through. The woods became all shadows and silence, save for the occasional menacing rustle of bushes. Dan’s bitterness slowly subsided into fear; he had no clue where he was or where he was going. And he had the smallest feeling in his gut that he was being followed.

As he kept walking, the people following him became more and more obvious. Mainly because Danny could actually _hear_ them arguing as they followed him. “Dude,” came a hushed voice, “that’s totally our guy.”

“ _Dude_ ,” came another voice, “he can _totally_ hear you right now.”

“Who cares?” the first voice came, louder than the first time. “We gotta _stop_ him, Matt, we-”

“ _RYAN_ ,” the second voice cut him off, _very_ loud this time. _Yikes._ Yeah, Dan was actually kind of suffering from secondhand embarrassment here, so. He had to put a stop to this.

“Uh, hello?” he said, stopping in his tracks and looking around himself. “Is anyone there?” No shit someone was there, but Dan figured that seeming a little more helpless than he actually was might give him some sort of upper hand.

Dan heard a muffled “Oh shit,” and two seconds and a lot of shuffling later, two boys emerged from the bushes in front of him.

“Hey, fucker,” the lanky blond one said with way too much confidence. The shorter boy of the two turned to his friend and glared.

“Really, Matt?” he exhaled, sounding disappointed.

“What?” the other boy (presumably Matt) answered indignantly.

“We’re on the most important mission of our lives and the _best_ opener you can come up with is ‘Hey, fucker’?”

“Whatever, Ryan, it’s not like _you_ -” Yeah, not to be rude or anything, but Danny sort of wanted to hurry this along. He didn’t have all day here.

“Um, hi?” he said, and the two boys snapped their attention back to Dan. They crossed their arms in perfect unison, which might have been cool if the whole thing didn’t look so staged. Had they rehearsed this beforehand?

“So we _heard_ you were searching for the lost spells of Mensa Navis,” Ryan said, his voice real confident and accusatory for someone who was wrong.

He opened his mouth to speak again, but Dan cut him off. “I think you guys have the wrong guy,” he said simply. “I have literally no idea what that is.” Matt and Ryan looked at him like he was insane, then at each other like _they_ were insane.

“Really?” Matt finally said, and Danny nodded. “Oh shit,” he said, looking helplessly towards Ryan. “Dude,” he said in a voice that he probably thought Danny couldn’t hear (he was wrong), “what do we do? Mark definitely said this was the guy.”

“Maybe Mark was wrong?” Ryan said, but even he looked like he didn’t believe himself. Danny almost felt bad for them - he wished he could help. Not enough to _actually try and help_ , but still. The boys stared at each other for a second before shrugging their shoulders and turning back to Danny.

“ _Well_ ,” Matt said with the same over-confidence Ryan had just had, “if you _are_ looking for the lost spells, you can _forget it!_ Because you’ll never get past _us!_ ” Ryan nodded along in agreement.

“Okay,” Danny said tonelessly. “That’s great. Can I go now?”

Matt and Ryan looked at each other blankly before shrugging. “Yeah, sure, I guess,” Ryan said, and Dan nodded.

“Cool, thanks. Bye,” he said, turning around and walking right back the way he came.

“Bye!” he heard Ryan call after him, followed by Matt scolding him for fraternizing with the possible enemy. Danny shook his head. This was not the experience he’d signed up for.

Dan kept walking, trying to figure out what Matt and Ryan had been on about. They’d mentioned Mensa Navis, a place Dan hadn’t heard about in years. Mensa Navis was the old capital of the kingdom, a huge city where the royal family lived. The King and Queen presided over the kingdom from their castle in the center of the city, surrounded by all walks of life; humans, dwarves, elves, mages, and magical creatures of all sorts flocked to the grand city. It was a haven of safety, knowledge, and culture, and was a source of great pride to anyone who lived in the kingdom. However, years ago, a dark force had overtaken the city, reducing it to ruins and resulting in the death of anyone who was in the city at the time. Including the King and Queen. No one knew who or what had cursed the city and brought on its destruction, and the leaderless kingdom had been a very tough place to live in since then, plagued with economic ruin, disunity, and a nationwide loss of pride for their previously thriving home. But still, Dan failed to see what the ruined capital had to do with Matt and Ryan, some lost spells, or _him_ , for that matter.

After hours of walking and thinking, Dan found himself out of the dark part of the woods, which was good progress, but it was also likely that he was exactly where he’d started a few days ago, which sucked. Big time. Not to mention, he’d managed to lose his map one night after trying to use it as a blanket. Again, not his brightest idea. _And_ , on top of all that, Dan still had the sneaking suspicion that someone was following him. Not the obnoxiously obvious feeling Matt and Ryan had given him, but the creeping, paranoid feeling he’d had when he first entered the dark part of the woods. Whoever was following him was skilled and practiced and possibly dangerous, and Dan had no time for their nonsense.

Dan stopped walking and looked around himself, sighing heavily before yelling, “Listen man, I _know_ you’re following me. So just show yourself and we can talk it out. I don’t want any trouble.” All Dan really wanted was a good nap and a shower.

A short pause. Distantly, Dan could hear something that almost sounded like a man humming before a figure emerged from the shadows to his right. He turned slowly to face the stranger. He was met by a man a little younger than himself with brown hair down to his chin and a blond streak that resembled Suzy’s. He wore a dusty pink cloak that stopped at the small of his back and had a twinkle in his big brown eyes. A small smirk played on his face as he raised an eyebrow and spoke before Dan could get a word out. “Dude, you’re gonna die out here.”

Dan blinked hard, a little offended, actually. “What,” he said, more of a statement than a question.

“If you don’t let me help you,” the man finished, a proud smile plain on his face. No. Danny did not like this guy. “I’m Arin.”

“And I didn’t ask,” Dan said. “Stop following me.” He turned to leave, but Arin started speaking again and Dan was too polite to walk away. Damn his parents for instilling him with good manners.

“You’re out here with no food, no water, no weapons, no directions, and no idea what you’re doing. Your golden lute and cute hair can’t keep you alive forever. I can help.” Danny didn’t need to turn around to see Arin’s smug expression, he could _feel_ it. He didn’t like being made out to be incapable.

“First of all, only the headstock of my lute’s golden,” he said matter-of-factly, adding in an “ _asshole_ ,” for good measure. “And second of all, I’m fine out here, actually. Thanks, though.” His whole body was tense and his voice was sharp against his own ears. Dan couldn’t help it - he was hungry and tired and just wanted to be left _alone_.

Arin considered him for a second before speaking again. “Listen man,” he said, the smooth cockiness of his voice completely gone, replaced with something a little more genuine, “if you’re about to do what I think you are, you’re going to make a _lot_ of enemies.”

Dan was not impressed. “And how do I know you’re not one of them?”

Arin was silent. Yeah, fucking owned. “Fair,” Arin said. “Hey dude, if you don’t want my help, you don’t have to take it.”

“Awesome, thank you,” Dan said, and started walking away. Dan hadn’t even taken two steps when he heard Arin fumbling behind him.

“No, shit, wait,” he sputtered, running up to Dan’s side. Apparently he hadn’t expected Dan to actually take him up on that offer. Dan sighed and stopped, looking at Arin with the most exhausted look he could muster.

“ _What?_ ” he exhaled, just wanting to continue his journey.

“Just, fuck,” Arin stumbled, too flustered to get his words out. “At least tell me your name.”

Dan considered him a second. If that’s what it would take to get this guy off his back, it was a small price to pay. “Dan.”

“Dan?” Arin immediately lit up. Nope, that was a mistake. Dan should’ve just walked away. “Can I call you Daniel? _Danny?_ ” He looked at Dan like an excited puppy, and Dan closed his eyes and took a very deep breath.

“Goodbye, Arin,” he said, walking away from the strange man.

“Wait, Danny, babe! We were just getting to know each other!” Arin called out after him, but Danny was already gone.

Dan walked around in vain for what felt like an eternity (it was probably closer to four days, but still), completely lost and rationing the living shit out of his remaining food and water supply. He walked and walked and walked and never seemed to get anywhere. Dan was usually the textbook definition of optimism, but even he was starting to give up hope. When he came to the last of his food ration, he took a deep breath and sat under a tree. Needing some sliver of familiarity, Dan pulled his lute over his shoulder and began to play. His fingers moved easily over the strings, plucking away as he started to hum over his chords. His voice flew up and down scales, his eyes lightly shut as his mind focused wholly on his improvisation. For a second, the music allowed him to forget about the reality around him. It was just Dan and his song, like it always was. Then, softly at first, but quickly growing in confidence, another voice joined his own. Dan’s eyes popped open in surprise, but he didn’t stop humming. He began singing in earnest, _ooh_ s and _aah_ s that danced in tandem with his lute. (He was a musician, not a poet.) The stranger sang with him, a voice that remained solid and unwavering even as Dan tried to throw it off. Dan had no clue what it was - maybe a wood elf or possibly a wind spirit or _anything_ , really. Still singing, Dan stood to investigate.

He followed the voice of the mystery singer, their voice perfectly harmonizing with Dan’s, somehow anticipating and matching his every movement. He walked and walked and walked, forgetting his fatigue and anger and just focusing on the beautiful music. It had been so long since he’d sung a song like this, one he could completely lose himself in. It was magical.

Then, suddenly, the voice ended its song, and Dan stopped too. His hands froze where they were, out of shock more than anything. (Something in his chest panged at the lost of his partner and the music they were making, but Dan allowed it to subside.) But as Dan took in his surroundings, he quickly forgot about the wonderful song he’d just experienced. Just ahead of him was a beautiful meadow, the trees fading behind him. Holy shit. He was out of the woods.

Danny practically skipped into the open air, laughing like an idiot because _holy shit, he made it!_ Relief flooded his body as he tumbled to the ground, lying among the flowers that dotted the lush grass. Dan let fresh air fill his lungs as he laid there, unable to stop himself from smiling as the unfiltered sunshine warmed his face. He _made_ it. With only a little bit of magical intervention!

After finding some berries to eat and filling his canteen with fresh water from a nearby spring, Dan was ready to set out again towards the mountains. The meadow before him was _huge_ , with green, rolling hills as far as the eye could see and brilliant flowers coloring the landscape. A dirt path cut through the meadow, and Dan decided that was as good a place to start as any.

Slinging his lute back over his shoulder, Dan set out on the path, humming happily to himself. Sometimes, when he reached the top of a hill, he could _just_ make out the peak of a mountain emerging from the clouds. _That has to be it_ , he thought, trying to ignore the fear in his gut as he did so. He walked with a renewed enthusiasm, journeying until the grassy hills around him flattened out. The sun shone warmly on Dan’s skin, the sky seeming more vast and blue than Dan had ever seen it. Everything felt sort of surreal, like he was on an adrenaline high from not dying or something. Which sounded pretty fucking cool, so Danny rolled with it.

And Dan kept rolling until he began to shiver uneasily, the hairs on the back of his neck pricking up. He was being watched again. Dan was about to go into full kick ass mode, but he quickly realized two things: a) his scrawny, defenseless ass couldn’t win a fight to save his life and b) he already knew who was following him. No need to kick anyone’s ass. Probably. “Arin?” he asked, with a little more than a hint of annoyance.

And lo and _fuckin’_ behold, Arin appeared as if out of nowhere, walking up behind Dan and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Hey buddy!” he said jovially, and Dan glared at him.

“I’m not your _buddy_ ,” he said, ducking out from under Arin’s grasp. The two were walking together now, Danny not wanting to stop his forward momentum and Arin just along for the ride, apparently.

“Super proud of you for making it out of those woods,” Arin remarked, smiling happily over at Dan.

“Thanks. As you can see, I _super_ didn’t need your help.” That was Dan’s not so subtle way of hinting that _no, Arin, I don’t need or want you here_.

“ _Weeelllllll_ ,” Arin said, the word high and drawn out, like that wasn’t the whole truth. Dan stopped again.

“Arin,” he demanded, “who _are_ you?”

“A friend,” Arin said way too quickly, and no, Dan was not having any of that cryptic bullshit today.

“Don’t feed me that cryptic bullshit,” Dan said flatly. “What are you trying to do here?”

Arin’s jaunty demeanor dropped and he opened his mouth to speak, but as his eyes trailed away from Danny his words got lost in his throat. Arin’s gaze was trained behind them, his eyes narrowed like he was trying to make something out. Turning around to see what Arin was looking at, Danny saw the same two guys that had approached him in the forest, Matt and Ryan. Judging by the look on his face, Arin seemed to recognize these guys too.

“Oh hey!” Dan said, his tone friendly as ever. “I know you guys! Matt and Ryan, right?” Dan figured that if he was nice enough, they wouldn’t kick his ass. But Dan was wrong about a lot of things in life, this being no exception.

“Hey,” Matt nodded in greeting before Ryan elbowed him. “ _Fuck, Ryan_ ,” he hissed, rubbing where Ryan had hurt him before he remembered himself and looked back at Dan. The two were both frowning, their arms crossed and their backs angled towards one another. Seriously, had they choreographed this?

“So we went back to Mark,” Ryan said, as if Danny was supposed to have any clue who that was, “and he told us that you _are_ the dude after the lost scrolls.”

“Yeah so why’d you lie to us, man?” Matt said, ignoring how Dan was giving them the _What The Fuck Are You Talking About?_ look. “That’s a dick move, dude.” Dan looked over to Arin for help, but Arin wouldn’t tear his gaze away from Matt and Ryan. Some fucking help he was.

“So, uh,” Ryan started, “we have to stop you now, I guess.”

“Yeah,” Matt said. “We’re here to fuck shit up.” Somehow, Danny highly doubted that.

Matt and Ryan looked at each other for a second before Ryan… started singing? It wasn’t beautiful or anything, but his voice carried him strongly through the song and it sounded fine enough. Dan was confused to say the least, but not particularly threatened or scared. Nothing like what Arin looked like.

“Danny,” he said, his eyes wide as he tugged on Dan’s shirt sleeve. “Run.”

Dan furrowed his brow, looking at Arin like he was insane. Because he probably was. “What’s wrong with you?” Dan said.

“Dan,” Arin said, completely devoid of the playfulness that’d been there just minutes ago, “ _come on_.”

“Arin,” Dan tried reasoning with the guy, “I think you’re being-” But Dan was cut off by Arin grabbing his wrist and _yanking_ him away from Matt and Ryan, making Dan stumble into a full sprint. Dan tried breaking away, but Arin’s grip on him was firm. “Arin!” he yelled. “What the _fu_ -” But he was cut off again, this time by a very loud rumbling noise. Turning to look behind him, Dan saw a _huge_ cloud of darkness come from behind Matt and Ryan, enveloping the two boys as Ryan sang and heading straight towards Dan and Arin. Oh, so _that’s_ why they were running. Understood. “ _WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?_ ” Danny screamed, but apparently Arin felt that this wasn’t the best time for explaining things in detail.

“It’s magic, dude!” he yelled. “Now fucking _run!_ ” They did just that, going as fast as their legs could carry them while Ryan’s magic advanced behind them. Arin hadn’t let go of Danny’s wrist, and frankly, Dan didn’t want him to.

“What the fuck do we _do?_ ” Dan asked, because neither of them could keep running forever, and the darkness was definitely catching up to them. Danny considered turning off the road, but any path other than a straight beeline would probably wind them up in that dark magic cloud, and Dan really didn’t want to find out what would happen after that. The only way to go was forward, and even that could only last so long.

“Give me a sec!” Arin called, and yeah, totally, Dan had _all the time in the world for that right now_. He threw Arin a look, and Arin frowned. “I’m trying to save our asses right now! You have any ideas?”

“Don’t die?” Dan said frantically, noting how close the darkness was to their heels.

“Genius,” Arin deadpanned. He moved so he was running directly behind Dan, and he reached around to take both of Dan’s hands in his. Dan turned his head to give Arin the classic _We’re About To Die, What The Fuck Are You Doing?_ look, but when he saw Arin’s eyes closed in concentration as he hummed to himself, Dan stopped. (The dirty look, not the running, of course. That would be _bad_ , to say the least.) Arin’s humming grew louder and stronger, until he was actually singing, the notes delicate and lilting, building on top of one another before intricately falling back down. The song was beautiful, yes, but Danny did not understand how it was going to save their asses.

That was until Dan’s feet stopped hitting the ground. Looking down in amazement, Dan saw that with each step he took, his foot was landing on nothing but air, carrying him high into the air with Arin holding him steady and singing into his ear. Dan laughed out of something between terror and amazement, quickly becoming dizzy with giggles as they climbed higher and higher into the sky. The cloud of dark magic still rumbled on, but it shrank below their feet as Arin guided Danny across the sky. The cloud passed underneath them and Dan and Arin started laughing together, giddy with their triumph. They were _alive._ And _flying!_

Dan watched the scenery pass as they descended, watching as the tops of trees grew closer and the ground below arranged itself into delicate patterns of flowers and bushes. The two tumbled softly to the ground, Danny still in Arin’s arms when they landed. Blushing just the tiniest bit, Dan picked himself up and dusted his clothes off. Arin did the same, smiling like an idiot at Danny. Dan smirked. “You’re just _so_ proud of yourself, aren’t you?” he teased, and Arin doubled over laughing. It wasn’t _that_ funny - Dan chalked Arin’s reaction up to the adrenaline - but he found himself laughing too.

“Dude,” Arin said as he recovered, “that was so _fun!_ ”

Dan laughed a little as he spoke. “Yeah, it was pretty awesome.” Arin was smiling at him like Danny was the whole world. “If you forget about the part where we almost died.”

Arin laughed. “But Dan, that was the _best part_.” Dan shot Arin a look. It most certainly was _not_.

Silence fell over the two, a short and sobering quiet. Dan frowned a little, his voice soft as he turned to Arin. “Dude,” he exhaled, “what the _fuck’s_ going on?”

Arin smiled at him, but Danny caught a glimpse of something deeper behind it. “You’re gonna have to be more specific than that.” Arin stood and started in what seemed to Dan like a random direction, his original path long lost by their escape. So Dan, not having an inkling of where to go otherwise, took up stride alongside Arin.

“Okay,” he said, matching Arin’s determined footsteps. “Start with the demon cloud from hell that just chased us here.” Arin took a deep breath.

“That was magic, Dan. Dark magic.” Well no shit. Dan could’ve gathered that much himself. He shot Arin a look that he hoped conveyed this, prompting Arin to go on. “In this realm, magic is controlled by music. Spells are songs, and when performed correctly by a powerful enough mage, they can wreck your shit. Like that hell cloud would have.”

Dan frowned. “But I’m a musician,” he said, brow furrowed in disbelief. “Why am I not magic?”

Arin shook his head. “Only certain melodies cast spells,” he explained. “You can’t just sing anything and expect it to work. Mages study for _ages_ to learn how to write spells, it’s not something you can just _do_.” Dan nodded in understanding.

“Okay,” he said slowly. “So Ryan’s an evil magician that tried to kill us with the power of music, and you’re also a possibly evil magician with the power of music and a dumb pink cloak?” Arin winced a little.

“I wouldn’t say _magician_ , more like _powerful and gorgeous mage who saved your life and looks very dashing in his cloak, thank you very much_. But technically yes.” Dan nodded and grew silent again, staring at the horizon line and thinking.

“Okay,” he said after a little bit of walking, “but that still doesn’t explain what you’re doing here, or why Matt and Ryan want to kick my ass.”

Arin looked at him. “Danny,” he said, just slow enough to make Dan feel like an asshole. “You’re on a quest for lost music. Spells are cast through music. What do you _think_ Matt and Ryan are after?” _Oh, got it._ “Those songs you’re looking for are the lost spells of Mensa Navis, dude. As in, the only remaining relic of the fallen capital.” Danny’s eyes widened.

“Dude,” he exhaled, completely awestruck, “I didn’t know there was anything left. I thought it was all gone.” Arin’s mouth turned into a hard line and he stared resolutely ahead, refusing to meet Dan’s wonderstruck eye. Silence fell over them again, Dan’s mind racing at the prospect of recovering the last part of his kingdom’s capital in existence.

 

They walked further towards wherever the fuck Arin was taking them, Dan not wanting to break the silence that had washed over them. Still, his mind raced with questions and possibilities, and he needed answers. “Why do you want to help me?” he asked, and Arin turned his head to look at Danny. It was a fair question - Danny had no clue what spells Dissonyth was hoarding, only that they were super powerful. There was no telling what horrible agendas people could enact with those spells at their disposal. Sure, Arin may have saved Dan’s life _this time_ , but there was no telling what his endgame was. If Dan was going to travel alongside someone, he wanted to be fairly sure that they weren’t, like, _totally_ evil.

But Arin didn’t answer him, turning his head away from Dan and going back to looking directly ahead of him, not even glancing back at Danny. So _that_ was a good sign. But Danny knew that if he was going to be up against shit like what Matt and Ryan had pulled today, he needed someone as powerful and knowledgeable as Arin on his side. He could deal with Arin’s possible evilness when that became a problem. Also, he had no earthly idea where he was or where he was going, so he had to wait until at least the nearest recognizable landmark to even consider ditching his companion.

They kept walking, Dan careful not to ask any more questions (since they probably wouldn’t have gotten answered anyway). The hills around them grew larger and larger until they turned into rocky cliffs that emptied into a chasm so deep that Dan didn’t want to know if he could see the bottom of it. The sun was hanging low on the horizon, enriching the world around them and turning the sky a concentrated pink. Arin finally spoke.

“If you’re serious about getting these spells, you’re going to need some training,” he said, and actually Dan hated that, so. That was a hard “no thank you” on that one. “There’s no telling what we’ll be up against, and you’re really-”

“I think I can handle myself,” Dan interrupted, a little indignant.

Arin stopped in his tracks, and Dan followed suit, crossing his arms defiantly. Arin looked him up and down, humming out a low and disproving ‘mmhmm’ as he did so. What a dick. Then, out of fucking _nowhere_ , Arin _lunged_ at Danny, knocking him off his balance enough that Arin was able to kick his feet out from under him. Dan tumbled to the ground, Arin on top of him not even two seconds later, pinning Dan’s arms over his head and smiling smugly. Their faces were inches apart, and Arin was straddling Dan, rendering him completely unable to move. What the _fuck_. “Okay, okay, _fuck_ Arin! I get it. _Fuck_.” Arin sat up and smiled sweetly, all too proud of himself for knocking Danny on his ass. “You fucking asshole,” Dan muttered.

“That’s what I thought,” he said, and continued walking. What a _dick_. Dan ignored how his muscles protested as he stood and caught back up to Arin, unable to look at his son of a bitch face without feeling the overwhelming urge to punch him. Arin, however, didn’t seem to have a care in the world, practically skipping down the hill they were on. Dan rolled his eyes.

“Where are we training?” he asked, giving in as he tried to rub the pain out of his joints. Arin still had that smug smile on his face, the bastard.

“My friend Holly lives not too far from here,” he explained. “I’m sure she’ll be happy to help us.” And so they walked, traveling until the sun began to sink and the sky turned from pink to deep purples and oranges. Danny was so busy admiring the beautiful sunset that he barely noticed as they approached a house sitting on the edge of a cliff, a large ornate building with pink walls and white trim and a glass, dome-shaped roof. It was oddly shaped, and Dan could just make out two huge swings hanging over the cliffside behind the house. The house was all odd angles and asymmetry, looking like it came straight out of a dream.

“Is this Holly’s place?” Dan asked, his voice full of wonder and his eyes wide as he looked around. Arin noticed and smiled a little.

“Yeah. She lives in this aviary.”

“Aviary?” Dan asked, snapping his head over to look at Arin. “She keeps birds?”

Arin huffed out a laugh. “More than just that, buddy,” he said good naturedly. They’d reached the door by this point, which Arin knocked on gently. Dan could hear a small commotion from behind the door, some excited shuffling followed the creaking of the front door opening. And yeah, Dan could see why Holly lived in an aviary.

The woman in the doorway was shorter than both Dan and Arin, staring up at them with an amazed smile on her face. Her hair was cut short and dyed a light pastel, framing her kind face. Her eyes crinkled as she smiled in awe up at Arin and Dan, her cheeks glowing a rosy pink. She also had two giant, pure white wings instead of arms and a short yellow beak where her nose should’ve been. Dan tried not to stare, but it was _really fucking cool._

“Arin,” she breathed, seemingly in disbelief. “You’re alive!” Her eyes were shining with joy, and Dan turned to see Arin was smiling too. She pulled Arin in for a hug, her wings wrapping tightly around him as Arin got lost in an ocean of white feathers.

“Yes,” he said, laughing a little as he did, “yes, I’m alive.” He pulled away from her embrace, the smile on his face having grown stronger. “Alive and well. And _we_ _,_ ” he said, gesturing to Danny, who waved a little lamely, “are in need of your help.”

Holly was already nodding, stepping aside so the two could enter. “Of course. Are you two alright? I’m Holly, by the way,” she said to Dan, extending her wing for Danny to shake as she led them into her house. Dan took it warmly (albeit a little awkwardly, since it was a little hard to shake hands with someone who _didn’t have hands_ ), smiling at Holly as he did.

“Danny,” he introduced himself, nodding respectfully. “It’s a pleasure.” Holly ushered the two into what must have been her kitchen, having the two boys sit down at a worn wooden table. The house’s inside was just as magical as its outside - the whole of it was varying warm, brown tones of wood and it smelled like tea all around. Birds of all colors and sizes flew up by the glass ceiling, perching on whatever ledges they could find. The place was full of books and charms and plants and knick-knacks, a sort of creative chaos filling the shelves of the house. The last few rays of sunlight streamed in through the roof, and Dan could see out of a window by the kitchen’s back door that he hadn’t been mistaken - two swings were dangling off a huge, sturdy tree behind Holly’s house, swaying back and forth over the abyss of the cliff below. Holly puttered around the room, putting a kettle on the stove and lifting the lid off of a cauldron that was sitting over some coals, releasing the smell of freshly cut grass and fresh berries into the kitchen. Dan loved this place.

“Jimmy!” Holly called out into the house. “What are you brewing?” A young boy bounded into the room, pointy ears poking out from under his light hair. He moved over to the cauldron, blocking it protectively from whatever he thought Holly was going to do to it.

“I’m trying something out,” he said vaguely, clearly not wanting to give a real answer. Holly rolled her eyes lovingly before turning to Dan and Arin.

“This is Jimmy,” she said, sounding a little tired. Still, there was an unmistakable note of affection in her voice. “He’s my elf,” she said, and Jimmy beamed like a proud son, “and he doesn’t understand that my house is _not_ an apothecary.”

“But it could be!” Jimmy whined, like they’d had this conversation a hundred times. Ah, children.

The house settled down, Holly and Jimmy pouring tea for everyone as they sat at the table. Arin took the liberty of explaining their situation under the starlight that streamed in from the ceiling, leaving something left unspoken that Holly seemed to know, but Dan didn’t. Sometimes Arin and Holly would go silent for a moment, sharing a heavy and meaningful look before Arin barreled on with his explanation. Dan didn’t want to be _that guy_ , but he also really wanted to know what the fuck was going on and why everyone seemed so fucking forlorn and cryptic all the time. They were on an _adventure_ , goddammit. This was supposed to be _lighthearted fun_ , right?

After Arin had finished explaining why they need to crash at Holly’s for a while and Holly and Jimmy both confirmed that they were onboard, Holly prepared two beds for the boys. Despite being straw mattresses with nothing more than a pillow and a blanket each, they were the comfiest things either of the two had slept on in a long time. Danny sunk happily into his bed, curling up with his blanket and letting waves of sleepiness wash over him until he finally fell asleep. He had a feeling Arin’s training was going to be a long process: he might as well sleep while he could.

Danny was the last to wake up, blearily dressing himself before padding into the kitchen. Everyone was sitting around the big round table, enjoying a hot breakfast and talking happily. Dan sat down just as Holly and Jimmy were tag teaming a story about how they had rescued some of their birds from some cruel poachers. Dan hummed in acknowledgement to their "good morning"s, taking a piece of bread and spreading some jam over it. The bread was fresh and warm, probably baked that morning, and the jam tasted like nothing he’d ever had before. It was the best thing he’d eaten since he started his journey, and probably some time before that, too.

“Mmm,” Dan said around a mouthful of food, “Holly, Jimmy. This is incredible!” Jimmy’s cheeks grew pink and Holly beamed happily.

“Thank you! We figured you two have a lot of training to do, and you can’t do that on an empty stomach!” Everything about Holly’s house was so pleasant; the people, the food, the weather, the smells. Everything. Dan felt safe here, like he was protected by people he could trust. Whether or not that was the truth wasn’t totally clear, but for now, Dan took what he could get.

After breakfast, Arin led Dan out into the space between Holly’s house and the cliff behind it that constituted her backyard. Huge, strong trees grew along the sides of the backyard, and the space in between was almost all green grass. A small space in the corner of the area seemed to be a garden, probably one tended to by Jimmy. Arin turned around, his back to the cliff as he faced Danny. The sky was unbelievably blue and fluffy white clouds dotted its surface. Dan found himself wishing he could spend the day lying on the grass and spotting shapes in the clouds with Arin rather than getting his ass beat for hours on end. Somehow he knew that wasn’t really an option.

“Okay, Dan,” Arin announced, his feet planted firmly on the ground. Danny mirrored him, just so he couldn’t get surprise attacked again. “We’re just gonna start with a little warming up, if that’s cool.”-

“Totally,” Dan said, because groaning out an “If we  _have_ to,” felt kind of rude. Besides, Dan would rather not pull a muscle learning how to handle a sword or evade attacks or make a speedy getaway. But just as Dan expected Arin to launch into some sort of morning aerobics routine, Arin started humming.

His voice climbed up and down a scale, switching cleanly through the diatonic pitches. Dan was momentarily confused, so much so that he didn’t respond when Arin prompted him to start singing. Arin returned Dan’s confused look, humming the scale again. When Dan didn’t respond _again_ , Arin spoke. “C’mon, Dan, you’re supposed to repeat after me. Aren’t _you_ supposed to be the singer here?” Arin was smiling like he was joking, but Danny was actually confused.

“You’re training me…” he started slowly, like he was putting things together as he spoke, “to sing?”

“No, dumbass,” Arin said, his words playful and jovial, the hint of a laugh behind them. “I’m teaching you to _magic_.”

Dan sputtered for a second. “Magic?” The fuck? “Arin, I thought you were going to teach me how to _fight_.”

“I am!” Arin said, still smiling like this was the most obvious thing in the world. “With magic!” Danny frowned.

“Then why’d you kick my ass yesterday?” he asked, brow furrowed in thought.

That shit eating grin spread all over Arin’s face. “Because I could,” he shrugged and Dan’s jaw dropped. What. A. Dick.

After Arin recovered from doubling over in laughter (he laughed for so long that even Danny began to giggle, despite himself), Dan followed his warm up instructions. He repeated the notes Arin sang, singing them lightly as to not strain his voice. After Arin declared them warmed up, he led Danny over to the cliff’s edge and sat down, his legs dangling over the edge. Dan looked at him like he was fucking insane, but Arin patted the ground next to him, insisting Danny come sit. Dan did so, muttering, “If I fall, your magic ass better save me.”

“You think my ass is magic?” Arin said, eyes wide in mock-flattery. Danny rolled his eyes, huffing out a laugh as he did. Arin grinned before getting back on subject. “So I think we’ll be able to cover the basics pretty well if we start now and move fast, if you can handle it.” There was no challenge to his voice, just genuine concern. Danny nodded back confidently. He was a musician at heart. If magic really was just music, he had no doubt he could do it. Arin took in a deep breath. “Alright. We’ll start with healing magic.”

Arin spent the rest of the day leading Danny in different songs and hymns. When Arin sang a healing spell, Danny could feel his spirits lifting, could see colors more brightly, could feel his limbs growing lighter. As Arin’s voice danced delicately around a melody in his upper register, Dan could feel a tangible weight being lifted, like his burdens were being removed from his soul. But when Dan sang the notes Arin taught him, he didn’t feel any of that. If anything, he just felt a little stupid, but Arin assured him that he was doing great. That helped, a little.

When Arin decided they’d trained enough for the day, the two turned into the house, chatting with Holly and Jimmy about the old capital, their many adventures, and how they got to where they were now. They sat around a fireplace in Holly’s living room, Danny still humming the melodies Arin had taught him. Arin smiled warmly at Dan when he caught him singing under his breath, and Dan didn’t know what to make out of the warmth that spread in his chest. He fell asleep that night a little confused, but still happy with the progress he’d made and the people surrounding him.

They passed the time like this, training through the days and talking through the nights, Danny becoming better at magic and opening up to his companions more and more as the days went by. Arin taught Danny a wide array of the basics, everything from healing songs (which Danny picked up fairly quickly) to attacking songs (which Arin was much better at, but Danny could at least hold his own) to songs meant to disorient or confused (that day was particularly fun, but Holly decided to fly over the cliff’s edge that day, just to prevent anyone that got in the way of a spell from falling to their death). About a week or so into their training session, Dan had a question for his teacher.

“Arin,” he said, after he had successfully bested Arin in a fort of magical sparring session, “can you make your own spells?”

Arin squinted in confusion, rubbing the back of his head as he picked himself up off the ground. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“Like, if you wanted a very specific spell,” he explained, “one that no one’s found a melody for. Could you make your own?”

Arin, now mostly recovered from Dan kicking his ass, seemed to understand. “Oh!” he said. “Totally, dude!” He paused for a second, and then continued. “I mean,” he said, his voice lowering and his eyebrows wiggling, “you have to be _really good_ , but you totally can!”

Dan hummed in thought, weighing Arin’s words before asking, “Can _you?_ ”

“Can _I?_ ” Arin repeated, somewhere between surprised, honored, and incredulous.

“Yeah,” Danny said, gaining confidence in his question now that Arin seemed so defensive. “Can you make your own spell?”

“Like, right now?” Arin said, his voice more than just a little uncertain.

“Right now,” Danny challenged. Arin laughed, and Danny could feel his stomach flip like it always did when he made Arin laugh. That must have been some weird magic thing.

“Of course I can,” he said, grinning wickedly. “ _Truly_ great mages can conjure up any spell they want.” Oh god, what had Danny just done?

Arin began to sing, his voice deep and strong, surrounding Dan and reverberating in his chest. Spells never had lyrics attached to their melodies, something that had weirded Dan out at first. But when Dan heard a spell like this, with nothing but the Arin’s voice filling up the world around him until it alone became the whole world, Dan understood the music’s beauty. The song washed over him like waves crashing down, so rich and powerful that Dan could feel himself slipping into the music. And before he knew it, his feet were moving.

Arin stood with his arms outstretched, still singing his spell, and Dan practically fell into Arin’s arms, his cheeks burning. And then they were dancing, slow and lazy like a dream. Danny couldn’t stop giggling, unable to look Arin in the eye because this was _ridiculous_. They moved in time to Arin’s music, Danny following Arin’s footwork as he led them around the backyard in a waltz. “Arin,” he laughed, feeling like he was dancing on clouds, “stop!” Arin didn’t take him seriously, which was good because Danny didn’t really mean it seriously. He felt safe in Arin’s arms as they swooped around the backyard, a little lightheaded with his own giddiness. The whole situation was dumb and Danny understood that Arin was only doing it to tease him, but he couldn’t help how wonderful it felt to just let go and laugh with someone he felt comfortable with. Arin really was his friend, and that wasn’t just the spell talking. Danny could feel it in his heart.

Arin’s song wound down, their dance slowing until Arin had finished singing. They stood in each other’s arms for a moment after the song had ended, neither of them wanting to move. All Danny could see was Arin’s face and the pink flowers blooming in the trees around him. He exhaled heavily, laughing nervously as they separated.

“Told you,” Arin said, and Dan could’ve sworn that the man was blushing just the tiniest bit. “I’m _super_ powerful and _very_ talented.” And the moment was ruined.

Danny burst into laughter, muttering something along the lines of, “Such an asshole.” Arin joined in, laughing with him, the entrancing magic of their slow dance soon forgotten.

It was another week of training before Dan found himself with a second of free time to spend alone. Holly and Jimmy were really great people, and Dan was even able to be consistently tolerant towards Arin now, but he was glad to have a moment to himself. He slipped outside just before sunrise, after putting on a kettle of tea for Holly when she woke up. Climbing the grand oak tree behind Holly’s house, Dan managed to slide into one of the two swings that hung over the cliffside without dying. Which was something that two weeks ago, would’ve been impossible. (Thankfully, Arin had branched out to teach Danny some basics in physical combat and agility when he had excelled through the basics of magic far faster than Arin had anticipated. The singing came easily to Danny. The fighting and dodging and weaving and running and jumping and shit? Not so much.)

He swung back and forth, kicking his legs out purposefully and grasping tightly to the two ropes that kept him aloft. The air was crisp and fresh, just cold enough that it chilled Dan into alertness. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure why he was awake so early in the morning. Yesterday’s training had been utterly exhausting, and Jimmy had used his apothecary skills to make Dan a potion that would let him sleep through the noises of the house at night (birds cooing, Arin snoring, etc.), so there was no reason for Dan to have sat bolt upright as the sun was just turning the sky from black to gray. But he had woken up nonetheless and hadn’t felt the tiniest bit of fatigue or sleepiness, so he slipped on some clothes and came out to use the swing he’d been dying to use since he’d first saw it.

It was totally as kickass as he knew it’d be. The sun was just breaking over the horizon line across the chasm, casting a warm light over Danny as it climbed higher into the sky. A light breeze pushed back against Danny as he swung, and eventually he relaxed enough that he could loosen his grip on the ropes without feeling like he was going to immediately die. A sense of calm washed over him, a sort of tranquility that can only be achieved in solitude. Dan was so lost in admiring the sunrise and feeling the swelling bubble of emotion in his chest that he didn’t notice another person settle into the swing beside him.

“Hey buddy,” came Arin’s voice, soft and a little sleepy. Dan looked over, somehow zen enough to not have the living shit scared out of him by Arin’s sudden appearance. Dan threw him a quizzical look, a little too early in the morning to form his thoughts into physical words right now. Luckily, Arin seemed to understand. He followed Dan’s confused gaze as it trailed from him to his swing to the cliffside a good twenty feet away. “Oh!” he said, nodding in recognition. “Magic,” he said, in lieu of a full explanation of how he got on the swing without alerting Danny. Dan shrugged. Good enough for him. “Yeah,” Arin said, leaning back cockily as he raised his eyebrows in joking arrogance. “I’m pretty much the most powerful mage you’ll ever meet. I mean, you’re learning from the master here, so-” Dan cut him off, his voice barely more than a croak.

“I swear to god, I’ll push you off that fucking swing.” Arin giggled happily, and Dan’s lips slowly curled into a smile. Arin’s laughter subsided and then it was just the two of them, rocking back and forth as they watched the sun rise.

The sky turned from gray to pink to orange and was just about to fade to blue when Arin broke the silence. “Dan,” he said, his voice heavy. Dan turned to meet Arin’s eyes, and was surprised to see how regretful they looked. He held his breath as Arin spoke again. “You ready, buddy?” Dan took a deep breath. He nodded. It was time to go.

Managing to get off the swings without plunging into the void, the two boys headed inside to say their goodbyes before heading off for the dragon. Dan didn’t know if he was ready, but then again, would he ever be? Probably not. Wait, scratch that. _Definitely_ not.

Holly was puttering around the kitchen, Jimmy stepping in to help her here and there. When Arin and Dan walked in, the two smiled in their direction.

“Hey boys,” Holly said, and Dan could feel a tangible twinge of pain at her kindness. He’d grown to love Holly’s bubbliness and Jimmy’s easy banter over the past two weeks; he wished he and Arin could stay.

“Hey Hol,” he smiled, but his heart was heavy. Holly apparently picked up on this, stopping what she was doing to look at Arin and Danny.

“Are you guys okay?” she asked, voice full of concern.

Arin took a deep breath. “I think it’s time, Holly,” he said grimly. Jimmy picked his head up from his potion to see if Arin was joking. Holly’s expression dropped. God, everything about this felt so _wrong_. Dan had known they weren’t going to stay for long, but now that it was time to go, he wanted nothing more than to sit by the fire with his friends and listen to their old stories of better times.

Holly nodded, her wings fluttering nervously. “Before you go,” she said, a sad twinkle in her eye, “Jimmy and I want you to have some things.” Holly and Jimmy disappeared down a hallway for a minute, returning with their arms (or wings) full.

Jimmy approached Dan with a small leather flask, smiling bashfully. “For you,” he said, and Danny took it and thanked him. “It’s a healing potion,” Jimmy explained. “Hand brewed, of course. Nothing show stopping or anything, but. It’ll help in a pinch.”

“Thank you, Jimmy,” Dan said, pocketing the flask and pulling Jimmy into a hug. As he pulled away, Holly turned to Arin with a pink bundle in her hands.

“And for you, Arin,” she beamed, “a new cloak. Fire resistant, won’t tear, tons of pockets, and still pink.” Arin’s eyes grew wide, his mouth falling open just a little bit. He slid the cloak on, and it fell just down to the end of his torso, like his other one did. The color was a perfect match, just a lot cleaner and less beat up than his old cloak. Arin’s old cloak wasn’t trashed by any means, but this new one was handmade by Holly, and meant so much more. Arin pulled Holly into a hug, muttering out thank you after thank you. They exchanged hugs, goodbyes, and good lucks, and with their gifts in hand, Arin and Danny set off.

The sun was just beginning to climb in earnest as Holly’s house grew smaller and smaller behind them. Dan couldn’t stop himself from looking back as the aviary sunk into the distance, watching the house disappear from his sight. He allowed himself a second to feel the pangs of sadness in his chest before taking a deep breath and pushing the feeling to the back of his mind. No matter how kind Holly and Jimmy were, the fact stood that he was currently on the road leading to the biggest challenge he had ever faced; now was not the time for distractions. Dissonyth was out there, hiding in the mountaintops and hoarding untold numbers of lost spells. It was time he was brought to justice.

“Arin?” Danny said, looking over to the man next to him. He caught a momentary glimpse of some deep, hard emotion on Arin’s face, but it quickly disappeared as he looked over to Dan.

“Yes Dan?” he said, smiling eagerly. Danny frowned. He was planning on asking how long of a journey they had left, but upon meeting Arin’s eyes, found that his original question was lost.

“You good, Ar?” he asked, concern furrowing his brow. Arin titled his head a little, giving Danny an earnest _why wouldn’t I be?_ look. Dan shook his head, dropping the subject. “Just making sure, dude.” A small smile lingered on Arin’s face as he turned away, and Dan let himself take pride in that.

They walked until the great plateaus sunk into flat land and the sun descended into the west corner of the sky, snacking on food that Holly had supplied them with before they’d left. Arin stopped walking in a small clearing as the sunset began to paint the sky pink, turning to Dan. “Wanna set up camp here?” he asked, and Dan didn’t really have a better idea, so he gave the affirmative. Arin got to starting up a fire and Danny volunteered to scout the least rocky patch of ground to sleep on. His back already hurt like a bitch, and sleeping on sharp ass rocks was not how he wanted to spend his night.

“Hey Dan,” Arin piped up. He was sitting on a log by the fire he’d lit, the crackling light illuminating his face against the quickly darkening sky. “Come sit,” he offered. “It’s been a long day.” Dan couldn’t argue. He sat on a stump across from Arin, the two men separated by the glowing fire.

They were wordless at first, staring quietly into the shifting embers before them. (For the most part, at least. Sometimes Danny would look up at Arin, only to find Arin pensively looking at him. The two would look away from each other quickly, pretending nothing had happened.) After a large swath of silence, Dan decided to break it. “So Arin,” he said, keeping his eyes to the fire even when Arin lifted his gaze, “why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?” he asked, but they both knew that was a bullshit question. Dan snapped up to look at Arin, a resolute frown painting his features.

“ _This_ ,” he answered, and Arin returned his frown. “Finding me, training me, going after the lost spells. Why are you here?” He didn’t say it unkindly - the two were well aware that Danny would probably be dead without Arin’s help, and Dan totally appreciated what Arin was trying to do, but it was also obvious that Dan didn’t know the whole story. If Arin _really_ wasn’t a bad guy, what could he possibly have to hide?

“Dan, I-” Arin said, his voice choked and stiff. “I’m here for you. Those spells are-” He took a deep breath, and if Dan wasn’t mistaken, there seemed to be tears glittering in his eyes. “They’re more important than anything to me. I-” A tear rolled down his cheek, the firelight making it sparkle before Arin wiped it away with the back of his hand. “I can’t explain right now,” he said, his voice wavering enough that Dan unquestioningly believed him. “I’m sorry Dan, but I promise I’m-” He took another deep breath, steadying himself. “I’m here to help you. I’m here to save those spells.” He leaned closer to the fire, the emotions on his face made more intense by the burning firelight. He reached around the flames and took Danny’s hand, boring into Dan’s eyes with his own. “I promise, I’m on your side.”

Danny nodded his head, still not completely clear on why Arin was here or what was upsetting him so much, but understanding that this was something really sensitive for Arin. Dan could deal with not knowing the whole story right now if it was really that personal to his friend - it was the least he could do, really. He just had one question.

“Hey Arin?” he asked, and Arin met his eyes, something tender and melancholy still behind them. “Just one more thing.”

“Yeah, Danny?” Arin replied, squeezing Danny’s hand just the tiniest bit.

“If you’re a magic wizard dude, why can’t you just _teleport_ us to the dragon?” Arin let out a big exhale, letting go of Danny’s hand and leaning back as he huffed out a laugh. Dan smiled, glad that he could make his friend crack a smile.

“Long answer: mages don’t have enough power to do that on their own; we’d need a couple really powerful dudes to get that done. Short answer: you’re a fucking asshole.” Danny collapsed into laughter, throwing his head back and giggling while Arin smiled proudly from across the fire. He started laughing too, and soon all that could be heard was the sounds of the fire and their laughter, noises that mingled and echoed all around them.

When they recovered, Arin suggested that it was time to go to bed, and Danny agreed. He led Arin to the soft patch of ground he’d found, and the two laid down. Arin spread his cloak out over the two of them (which wasn’t perfect, seeing as the thing wasn’t even half the length of a normal cloak, but it was a lot better than nothing) and they drifted off, dreaming of the days to come.

Danny woke before Arin, slipping out from under Arin’s cloak and making his way over to his lute. It was a gorgeous instrument, a deep brown wood with a glittering golden headstock. Depictions of mythological creatures were carefully hand carved into the wood, Danny’s favorites being the two rearing unicorns by the top of the instrument’s body. The lute had been a family heirloom passed down to him from his father, and his father before him. Dan had no clue how long it’d been in his family, but he intended to keep it for as long as he lived. Not to mention, this lute played the most beautiful music Dan had ever heard; the notes came clean, crisp, always in tune. Maybe it was because Dan had been playing that same lute since he was a child, or maybe it was because the lute was enchanted with some magic forgotten many generations ago. Either way, no other lute felt the same to Danny, and even if he had the option, he wouldn’t trade the instrument for any other. This one was _his_.

Dan sat on his stump from last night, the grass still wet with dew. The sun was rising in the east, shining through the fog that still clouded the horizon. For the first time in a while, Dan took a quiet moment to himself to just play and sing. He wasn’t singing a spell or anything  magical, just a duet between his voice and his lute. He let his fingers play what felt right and allowed his voice to follow suit, sometimes falling into songs he’d played at the inns he performed at, sometimes launching into improvisation and making things up as he went along. It felt freeing, not being bound by the tight rules of rhythm and pitch that came with spellcasting. Here it was just his lute and his voice, playing what felt good and not having to worry about making mistakes. Dan was so into his own groove that he didn’t notice Arin rustling from his sleep.

“I haven’t heard you play in a long time,” Arin remarked, startling Danny out of his solo jam session. He clutched his chest as he recovered from being scared out his _fucking mind_ , breathing heavily while Arin let out a sleepy laugh. “Sorry, dude,” he apologized.

“It’s cool man,” Danny recovered, a little smile creeping on his face as he turned to Arin. “Just. Give a guy some warning next time.”

“Will do,” Arin nodded, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He was propping himself up by his elbows, sending Dan a tiny smile from across their makeshift campgrounds. “But seriously man,” Arin said, shuffling so that he was fully sitting up, “you haven’t played in a while. Not since before Matt and Ryan’s hell cloud, at least.”

Danny shrugged, turning to better face Arin. “I don’t know, man. We’re busy.” Arin laughed.

“That’s for fucking sure,” he muttered, standing and putting his cloak back on properly. “You’re really good though,” he said as somewhat of an afterthought. It was so soft and genuine that it sort of caught Danny off guard.

“Really?” Danny asked, too surprised to keep how flattered he felt out of his voice.

“Yeah, dude,” Arin said, his eyes glittering as he crossed over to Danny and offered him his hand. Dan took it, and Arin pulled him up from his seat, Danny ending up standing very close to Arin. “You’re amazing,” Arin said simply, his face close enough to Dan’s that all Dan could see were Arin’s eyes, deep and warm and earnest. The boys lingered there for just a second longer than what could be considered normal before both shaking their heads and awkwardly pulling away. They let out some nervous, dismissive laughter before silently agreeing to forget about what had just happened.

They packed up the meager belongings they had, a process that really just entailed making sure the fire was completely out and gathering the small amount of food they had left. Arin straightened his cloak and Danny slung his lute over his back, and the two were good to go.

“So,” Dan said, falling into step next to Arin.

“We should be there by sunset,” Arin answered, not even waiting for Dan to ask the question. “We’ll set up camp a good distance from the mountain and take on Dissonyth tomorrow morning.” Dan nodded. It was go time.

As the sun tried to burn the mist away from the horizon line, Dan could just make out the peak of what had to be Dissonyth’s mountain. The clouds hung low in the sky, seeming to grow denser as the boys walked on. Soon the landscape turned gray, the bright colors of the scenery fading into something more muted and dull. The sun was well hidden behind the clouds, but Dan guessed it had to be close to midday when they stopped for lunch. Dan pulled out the last of the bread Holly had given him and Arin pulled out some cheese from god knew where. The two had a respectable meal, enjoying one another’s company without talking. If Dan wasn’t a fucking idiot, he would’ve left it at this comfortable silence. However, that just wasn’t the case.

“Holy shit, dude,” Danny sighed, gesturing vaguely towards the looming mountain. “We’re almost there.” Arin nodded, but somehow Danny missed the grave solemnity that permeated his movement. Dan pressed on, consumed by a sort of oblivious excitement. “We’re gonna kill a fucking dragon, dude! That’s literally _so rad!_ ” Dan was remembering all the tales of glory and honor he’d heard from mysterious travelers in dark taverns, the fights full of burning fire and clashing metal where somehow the hero always came out victorious. Brow furrowed, Arin slowly responded.

“Dan,” he said levelly, his voice serious, “you do understand what we’re up against, right?”

Dan started a bit, knocked out of his fantasy. “Um, yeah?” he said, his voice turning up at the end because didn’t he just _say_ they were fighting a dragon?

“So you understand that this isn’t a game, right? That either of us could very easily die tomorrow? _Especially_ you?”

Dan frowned. Yes, he lacked Arin’s extensive experience and power, but he wasn’t incompetent. “Yes,” he replied tightly, “I understand that.” Arin frowned like he didn’t believe Dan and turned away, leaving Dan to himself. They finished eating and kept moving, the air between them heavy and tense.  

Dan allowed his feet to fall heavily on the grass, pushing his pace a little faster with every step. He understood why Arin was being so wary of Dan’s enthusiasm, but it seemed strange coming from Arin himself. Arin was the one who always cracked jokes and wore a shit eating grin. Completely flipping around his attitude when Dan showed a sliver of self confidence was hypocritical, especially from the guy who _never_ shut the fuck up about how amazing of a mage he himself was. (Granted, Arin was always at least half joking when he said that, but the point still stood.) Dan didn’t like being made to feel like a child, especially by someone younger and less mature than he was.

Dan could feel the stagnant tension between Arin and him grow electric the farther they walked, the silence between them prickling with static. Whenever Dan tried to sneak a glance at Arin, he found his companion’s eyes to be glued resolutely to the mountain peak, something dark and shadowy lurking in them. Dan’s fingers twitched, itching to get his hands on his lute to serve as a sort of distraction. Anything to take him away from the silence between him and Arin. But Dan kept his hands by his sides, decidedly not breaking before Arin. Dan wasn’t about to play some tasty jams for the guy who _still_ thought Danny couldn’t hold his own in a fight. Besides, playing some roadside traveling tunes probably wouldn’t help Dan’s case of not being a wide eyed dreamer who had no idea what he was up against.

Dan spent the day waiting for the clouds to part and reveal the vast sky behind them, but they never did. In fact, the clouds only became more dense as the day progressed, bringing whipping winds and promising harsh rains. Which was just great. They reached a valley just a couple hundred feet away from the mountain, noting how the temperature dropped as the sun presumably dipped below the horizon line. “We can camp here for the night,” Arin said, the first thing he’d said in hours. There was still a clear edge to his voice, one that made the hairs on the back of Dan’s neck stand on end.

“Sure, Arin,” he said, pulling his lute off his back and sitting on the ground. He used a corner of his shirt to polish the golden headstock, trying to find anything to do to avoid looking at Arin. Which wasn’t the easiest thing to get away with, seeing as Arin was literally the only other human being for _miles_. Arin busied himself trying to start a fire, actively avoiding Dan. Cool, Dan totally loved unnecessary drama that could be easily remedied by proper communication. It was his _favorite_.

“Hey, Arin,” Danny piped up, his voice coming out a little harsher than he thought it would. Sure, he wanted Arin to tell him why he was so terse so they could solve their dumb spat, but Dan wasn’t calm enough about the situation himself to speak without an accusatory air. Arin looked up from the bullshit he was pretending to do to ignore Dan’s presence, now forced to look Dan in the eye. “Wanna tell me what’s up?”

Arin muttered something under his breath, something Dan could almost make out as a “Not really, no.” Dan shot Arin a look. Arin shook his head. “Dude, it’s nothing. Drop it.”

“Nothing?” Dan said, a note of anger in his voice. “This is nothing?”

“What?” Arin demanded, growing just as incredulous as Dan was.

“Oh, _I don’t know_ ,” Dan mused, not really caring about how rude he sounded, because was Arin really going to pretend that nothing was happening right now? “How about how you haven’t so much as _looked in my fucking direction_ for the past _eight hours_ of walking!” Arin stayed silent, glaring at Dan from across their makeshift campsite. Thunder rumbled overhead. “I get it, you think I’m incapable. That’s fine. But then _why drag me along?_ Why string me along in _silence?_ ” Arin refused to meet Dan’s eye, which only served to make Dan madder. “What’s your fucking _problem_ , dude?”

“My fucking problem?” Arin said softly. “My _fucking problem?_ ” he repeated, much louder this time. “My _fucking problem, Dan,_ is that you don’t fucking _care_ about any of this. This is all just a game to you. You set out on this quest to have an _adventure_. To spice up _your life_. That’s fucking selfish and it’s fucking childish, dude. If we don’t succeed, yeah, sure, you’ll be a little sad, but you won’t really _care_. This means nothing to you. It’s a fucking game to you! You treat this like it’s your fucking playtime when for me, everything I have is riding on this. You have _no idea_ how much this means.”

Dan was silent a second. “Yeah, no shit I have no idea how much this means, Arin. You won’t _fucking tell me!_ ” Danny stood from where he had been perched, running his hands frustratedly through his hair. “This is all a whole lot more than I bargained for, but you can’t hold any of it against me when _you’re_ the one withholding information. Just because you feel like you’re _so much better_ than I am doesn’t mean I deserve to be here any less.”

The two stood facing each other, Dan’s hands having moved into fists curled and Arin’s hands falling limply at his sides, lifeless and empty, like he’d given up. Tiredly, resolutely, Arin asked, “Why are you here, Danny?”

And somehow, Danny came up short. He wasn’t here to slay a dragon or to save some spells or to make new friends. Not really, anyway. He was here because he’d seen an opportunity to change his life and he’d taken it. He’d gone on this journey rashly, without any sort of planning or experience. He’d be dead without Arin. Yes, there was the treasure of the lost music to uncover, but was Dan in it for the music or for the glory it entailed? Was he here because he believed in his own cause, or did he just want to be the hero?

But still. Dan was on Arin’s side in this whole mess. He had put blind faith and trust into this stranger; if Arin really didn’t want Danny’s help, Dan could just leave. If Arin had all these pretentious reasons for fighting a dragon for the general good, he could take the damn thing on alone. So Dan, in a moment of fiery indignation and terrible impulsiveness, straightened to his full height and reared on Arin. “You know what? If it’s so goddamn important to you, we’ll fight the fucking dragon now!” He whipped around to face the mountain, arms splayed out to either side as he yelled. “ ** _DISSONYTH YOU SON OF A BITCH! COME AND GET US!_ ** ”

“DAN!” Arin yelled, but it was already too late. The winds picked up around them, whipping the boys’ hair wildly. Thunder cracked again, the skies opening as rain began to fall, harsh and incessant as it sliced through the air. The sky crackled with electricity and the mountain before them rumbled. Oh _shit_.

After recovering from their open mouthed shock, the two looked at each other, something resilient and determined in Dan’s eyes. “Let’s go,” he said, daring Arin to say otherwise. Arin nodded before breaking into a full sprint towards Dissonyth’s mountain. Arin began singing, something unbridled and full, the deep register of his voice riding like a deep undercurrent below the sounds of the winds and the tremors of the earth below them. The mountain shook, something inside of it moving restlessly.

“We have to get inside,” Arin said. “That’s where the spells are.” _And the fucking_ dragon _, dude_ , Dan didn’t add, because he knew it wouldn’t help. They made it to the base of the mountain where rocks jutted up from the ground at odd angles. Dan shivered in the cold, his hair limp and dripping from the rain. Arin started searching for an entrance to the inside of the mountain, but Danny had a feeling they had bigger problems on their hands. They had made it to the treasure. Dissonyth was sure to follow.

And follow he did. Dan was the first to notice Dissonyth slinking around the mountainside, seemingly emerging from thin air. His scales were black and sleek, shining in the rain. His feet fell heavily upon the mountain, each slow step sending tremors through the earth. His underbelly was a deep red, matching the leathery parts of his wings. His face was angular and harsh, his lips curled into an evil sneer. Noticing the two intruders trying to break into his home, he let out a deafening roar. Both and and Dan snapped up to watch the creature, fear reasonating in their bones. _Shit._

Arin kept standing there, his voice caught in his throat, seemingly too shocked to do anything. That was fine. Danny could do this. He started singing, his voice picking up strength as he went on, tumbling through the notes of a grappling spell. The dragon froze in its place, stuck towards the top of the mountain by Dan’s spell. Arin turned his shocked expression to Dan, impressed that he could hold such a powerful being down. Jolted back to his senses, Arin continued searching for a way inside with a fervor he hadn’t possessed before. Dan kept singing, locking eyes with the dragon and not tearing his gaze away. He could _do_ this.

The song became harder to sing as time progressed. Dan found himself unwillingly speeding up the tempo, transforming the music from something solid and steady to a desperate wild goose chase of intricate notes and impossible intervals. His voice leaped around the song’s scale, making it harder and harder to land on the right note every time. Dan had learned the hard way that magical singing was very exact - one fuck up, and you were toast.

“Hey Arin,” Dan sang, attaching the impromptu lyrics to his increasingly difficult spell, “could really use that entrance now.”

“Hold on, Dan, I think-!” Arin started to shout, but he was cut off by another powerful roar from Dissonyth. Dan’s hold on him was starting to brake. _Shit._ Dan’s voice was practically torn from his own song as the dragon broke free, spreading his massive wings and springing into the air. He landed further down on the mountain, a dangerously short distance away from Danny and Arin. Dissonyth turned around violently, his massive tail swinging behind him and hitting Danny square in the chest. The force sent him flying backwards, soaring through the air until his back slammed against a rock jutting up from the ground. Dan could feel the air leaving his lungs upon impact with the cold stone, his body falling limply to the ground. His head swam, the world blurring and colors bleeding as pain seeped into his whole body. _Fuck._

Dan wasn’t able to see the full extent of what happened next as he fell in and out of consciousness, but the moments he could make out were burned into his mind. A few seconds of Arin taking in what’d just happened and seeing nothing but red, turning from Dan’s limp body to stare down the dragon. A few notes of a song unlike anything Dan had ever heard before, the music powerful, otherworldly, dominating. An image of Arin levitating up off the ground, cloaked in a blinding white light. The sound of Arin belting magic too beautiful for Danny to comprehend as the dragon writhed and roared, shaking the earth as he did so. A final scene of the heavens parting and a beam of blazing white light striking the dragon, completely vaporizing the beast into jet black smoke as it cried out in agony. _Holy_ **_fuck_ ** _that’s rad_ , Dan thought, before slipping into complete darkness.

In reality, only a few minutes had passed when Dan woke up again, but he was clueless as to how long he’d been under. All Dan knew was he was on the ground and a strong pair of arms were wrapped around him. A hand was propping his head up, the other gently pushing his hair out of his eyes. Dan’s eyes cracked open to see Arin, his hair falling in front of his face and ash covering his person. As he regained his senses, Dan realized that Arin was singing to him, something quiet and desperate. Was he crying? “Arin,” Dan said before he could stop himself, his voice coming out as little more than a hoarse whisper. Arin’s expression completely broke, relief intermingling with his sorrow and exhaustion. “That was so fucking rad, man,” Danny croaked, and Arin broke into a full smile, giggling as he pulled Dan in for a hug. Dan breathed in his friend, the notes of flowers and sage that had been infused with the smoke and soot from the dragon.

“Come on,” Arin said, helping Dan to his feet. “We have to keep moving.” There was a note of anxiety to his voice, like they weren’t safe here. Like there was another threat to worry about. Dan frowned in confusion. Hadn’t Arin just killed Dissonyth? Wasn’t this over?

Dan followed Arin into the mountain through a small hole in the mountainside, too shaky to start asking any questions. His body ached with every movement, but the pain was duller than it should’ve been. Arin must have healed him, to some extent. Dan focused on his breathing, trying to hold on to something steady as his emotions crashed over him. What was he feeling right now? Nervous? Grateful? Excited? Terrified? Somehow, Dan felt all of that at once. Dan matched his breathing to the pulsing of his body, finally coming to the end of the tunnel and reaching the chamber within the mountain.

The chamber was huge. The ceiling towered above the two boys, slanting upwards until it reached the peak of the mountain, where a crater allowed a view of the dark night sky above. The moon was the room’s only illumination, but it gleamed and reflected off the walls, allowing ample light to highlight the massive assemblage of scrolls before Arin and Danny. The scrolls themselves seem to be infinite, scattered across the room with no rhyme or reason, just a mountainous pile stemming from the center of the room. Arin advanced on it wordlessly, Danny following suit. The two allowed their curiosity to take hold, looking through the scrolls one by one. They started on the outskirts of the pile and made their way in, having to wade through and almost climb the pile of spells to move further in. Dan picked up scrolls as they caught his eye - no two seemed at all alike. Some scrolls were impossibly ancient, written on frail, crumbling parchment that seemed like it would turn to dust under Dan’s touch. Others seemed indestructible, resolute and newly made. The contents of the scrolls were just as varied, some written in mechanical perfection, some in ancient glittering ink, some scrawled desperately or carelessly. Some spells were labeled, usually in languages Dan could only assume were long dead, but most were blank, just music notated in every way imaginable. Dan wanted to sit down and decode them all, to let his voice fly through the melodies and hear their beauty. Not to mention, to see what long forgotten magic they’d enact.

Towards the middle of the pile, a particularly old looking scroll caught Dan’s eye. The paper was yellowing and cracked, but not so much that it looked ready to fall apart. The rollers of the scroll were pure crystal, elaborately cut and polished to transparency. The music inside the scroll was written in the common notation, so Dan was somewhat able to decipher the silver ink as it shimmered in the moonlight. He hummed softly through the music as he read it, wondering what kind of magic it could do. He turned to Arin, intending to ask him if he knew what these spells were for, but stopping short. Arin was entirely preoccupied, searching determinedly through the infinite number of spells before them. He opened each one methodically, scanning it quickly before tossing it aside for another one. He wasn’t casually browsing these spells, he was hunting for something in particular. But what?

“Uh, Arin?” Danny said tentatively, still clutching the same spell he’d picked up. Arin hummed distractedly in response, prompting Dan to continue. “What’s going to happen with all these spells?” It was a valid question - there were a lot more scrolls here than Danny had imagined, and bringing them _all_ out of the mountain was going to be a hassle. And even after that, where would these spells _go?_ Mensa Navis was in ruins, so it wasn’t like they could just put the spells back where they came from. They’d just recovered the works of the world’s most extensive library of magic, but with that library gone, where would these spells end up?

Arin sighed heavily, pausing his pursuit to turn and face Dan. “Dan, I have to tell you s-” he started, but he fell short when his eyes fell upon the spell in Danny’s hand. “Dan,” he said, his voice carefully leveled and measured. “Can I see that one?”

Dan looked back at him, his expression stoic and solid, his fist closed tightly around the scroll. He didn’t know what this spell did. He didn’t know what Arin wanted. He didn’t know why he was really here. He didn’t know why his chest felt so tight under Arin’s unyielding gaze. There was _so much_ he didn’t know.

“Arin,” Danny said, the seriousness of his tone not enough to completely drown out his fear. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“Danny,” Arin said, his expression breaking. He was begging. “Please. _Please_. Danny, we don’t have time-”

“Arin. Tell me. Right. Now.” Dan was almost growling, his teeth grinding and his knuckles white. Arin just looked so sad, so fucking sad, and he opened his mouth to speak when all of a sudden-

The ground beneath the boys’ feet began to shake. A sudden, sharp jolt sent Dan sliding down the pile of scrolls, landing on the floor of the cavern with a thud. Dan shakily regained his footing, scanning the room quickly for Arin while the shaking continued. Dan fell to the floor, the ground moving so harshly that he was unable to keep his footing. He saw Arin’s head pop up from atop the pile of scrolls, where he was looking around desperately for Dan. As they locked eyes, the ground split open, a rift opening up inches in front of Dan. He scrambled back, watching as the earth broke apart and left Dan and Arin on separate chunks of rock, separated by a rapidly growing chasm. Dan tore his gaze from the fiery depths of the chasm to Arin’s face. “ _TAKE THAT SPELL AND_ **_RUN_** ,” Arin screamed, and Dan nodded, Arin’s order cutting through his own shock and forcing his body into action. He scrambled for the cave tunnel, narrowly dodging pieces of falling rock as he did so. The whole mountain seemed to be crumbling around them, falling into the broken earth.

Dan reached the edge of the cavern, just in front of the escape tunnel. He turned to find Arin. He saw the spells pouring into the chasm, which was now emanating a smoke too black to be natural. The smoke was quickly filling the chamber, making it impossible to see or breathe. “Arin!” Dan called into the swirling darkness. Dan could hear Arin coughing as the smoke contaminated his lungs, followed by a “ _Fucking go!_ ” Dan turned back to the narrow tunnel, ducking into it and going as fast as he could. Smoke quickly filled the area, forcing Dan to pull his shirt over his face so he could breathe. The tunnel was breaking around Dan as he went, the ceiling caving in lower and lower the farther he ran ahead. Soon Dan’s hunched running turned into crawling, still clutching onto the scroll for dear life. The sounds of the wreckage echoed around him, reminding him that this tunnel could collapse at any second, that every spell other than the one he’d grabbed was lost.

Dan barely squeezed out of the tunnel, rocks falling into his place the second he exited, effectively sealing the cavern. Dan shakily got to his feet and ran, driving himself away from the mountain as fast as he could until he was free of the debris. The second he stopped moving he collapsed, bending over with his hands on his knees as he dry heaved. He gulped in as much air as he could, desperate for something that didn’t leave his eyes watering and his mouth dry. The rain had stopped, so the only sound was the shaking of the earth. The mountain smoked in the distance, the same unnatural black that the dragon had expelled when Arin vanquished it. Wait. _Arin._

Dan began screaming, yelling Arin’s name at the top of his lungs. _Where was he?_ He must have found a way out, he must be out here somewhere. Dan’s mind raced, his legs running aimlessly into the darkness, searching, hoping, praying. He can’t be gone, he _isn’t_. He can’t still be in there. Dan’s mind was in a flurry, a hurricane of useless wishes and hopes that kept him from clarity, from focus. But in the midst of the chaos in his mind, he heard Arin’s voice in Holly’s backyard, a time that felt like eons ago. _Truly great mages can conjure up any spell they want._ Well, Danny was a shit mage if ever there was one, but he was desperate and this was his only option. Really, he was fucked either way, so he might as well try.

Dan opened his mouth and sang, complete improvisation that he let roar out from within him. His voice was stronger than he’d ever heard it before, the rawness of it and the emotions behind it swimming in his ears. The song rode high above him, sailing into the air and to the smouldering mountain. Tears streamed down his face, blinding hot as they blurred his vision. All Dan could see was the red of the mountain, a glowing ember in the sea of the black night sky. His song became a part of the destruction, ripping down walls, fanning flames, diving headfirst into the smoky abyss in its desperate search. The song was from deep within Danny, an expression of feelings he couldn’t fully describe, but knew to be true. This was for Arin.

And all of a sudden Arin was _there_ , standing frail in Dan’s arms and they were dancing, something slow and sweet and sad and all too familiar. Dan’s hand was on the small of Arin’s back as he gasped for air, air that suddenly wasn’t clogged by smoke or debris or evil magic. Dan held him steady, keeping Arin on his feet as he brought his song to a soft close. Arin collapsed into Dan’s arms. His chest heaved as he coughed, his grimy hands grasping desperately onto Danny. Tears fell down his cheeks, carving lines of clean skin out from under his soot stained face.

Arin tried to speak, to thank Dan, but his throat was raw and his voice wouldn't come out. Dan shushed him, setting him carefully down on the grass. He pulled out the healing potion Jimmy had brewed for them and had Arin drink it, raising the flask carefully to his lips. It wouldn’t be an instant cure, but it had to help. Dan sang whatever healing songs he could remember from training, which, granted, must have been like putting a bandaid on a broken neck, but he was trying, okay? Arin seemed to appreciate it at least, his eyes shining in the starlight as he looked up at Danny.

Dan wet an edge of his shirt that wasn’t completely covered in soot and began wiping the dirt off of Arin’s face in an attempt to clean him up. He moved the cloth  in slow, gentle circles, trying to be reassuring even though he had no idea what to do next. After Dan had finished wiping Arin’s face and Arin had helped Dan wipe off his own, Arin had regained the ability to talk. “Danny,” he said, his voice still cracked and dry, but better than it was before. “Are you alright?”

Dan smiled, shaking his head and laughing. “Yes,” he said, the adrenaline that was still coursing through him flooding out via nervous giggles. _Yes, he was alright. Arin was alright. They were both alright._

Arin smiled for a second before he spoke again. “That scroll you had,” was all he could manage. Dan nodded grimly.

“Right here.” He slipped it into Arin’s hands, because so far, not trusting Arin had lead to all this shit going wrong in the first place.

Arin smiled, but there was still that sadness behind it, that distant forlornness that Arin refused to talk about or explain. He opened the scroll carefully, his eyes methodically scanning the lines, lighting up as they did. “This is it. Holy shit, Dan. _Thank you._ ” He rolled the scroll back up and handed it to Danny, his eyes sparkling with tears. Dan wanted to know more than anything what the fuck was going on, what that spell did and why it was so important, what the deal was with the mountain falling apart, what that jet black smoke was about, why Arin wouldn’t tell him anything. There were so, _so_ many questions, but…

“Arin, we’ve got to keep moving.” And had Arin not been on the verge of actual death, Dan was positive he’d have said _no shit_. But he didn’t say anything, so Dan filled the silence with his own voice. “Do you know anywhere we can go?” There was something deeper in Dan’s voice, something that verged on desperate. _I don’t know what to do_ , he was trying to say. _Please help me make this better._

Arin nodded, eyes closed in concentration as his lips formed his words. “Mage friends,” he managed, his voice raspy and his chest heaving. “Brian… and Ross. I’ll send a distress signal and they’ll-” Arin was cut off by a fit of his own coughing, finishing with a weak “help.”

“Is that something I can do?” Dan asked, because Arin was clearly in no shape to be singing.

Arin shook his head, coughing as he did so. “Not well, no.” Cool, good to know Arin was still a dick even after Dan had just _saved his fucking life._ Dan shook his head and fell back into singing healing spells, trying to help Arin’s voice heal as much as he could. Arin eventually began to sing what must have been a distress signal. It was too high for his range on a good day, nevermind right now. There was none of the polish and precision that usually marked Arin’s spellcasting, but it would have to do. Luckily Arin’s mage friends seemed to have gotten Arin’s gist, because before Dan knew it, a whitish yellow light was surrounding the two of them, glowing within them. Dan was weightless, anchored only to reality by the feeling of Arin in his arms. The ruins of the now crumbled mountain were fading from Dan’s vision, swallowed by the magic that engulfed him. Dan’s eyes fluttered shut, letting himself feel this sensation of detachment from the earth, of being tethered to Arin, Arin and nothing else.

Then, all at once and all too soon, Dan was back, gravity holding him down and keeping him bound to the floor. As the magic light faded into the corners of his vision and then dissipated entirely, Danny could see two men standing before him, singing in tight harmony. Their voices mingled and melded perfectly, like they were made to sing together. Arin and Dan had dropped into what must have been the floor of their living room, a place much warmer and friendlier than the hellscape they’d just left. The men’s song broke off immediately, the younger of the two rushing to where Dan and Arin were.

“Oh shit,” he said, placing a hand on Arin’s cheek. Arin was barely conscious now, the distress signal and the teleporting having taken too much out of him. “Arin!” He reached for Arin’s pulse and breathed a small sigh of relief upon finding it. He turned to face the older mage, who was still standing, a frown on his noble face. No one spoke.

“He’s hurt,” Dan spoke, because he wasn’t sure if the men were going to acknowledge him otherwise. “Please help him.” _I don’t know how._ That went unsaid as the older man nodded, working with the younger man to pull Arin out of Dan’s arms, managing to lay him down on their blue sofa. Dan watched as the men began singing to him, healing spells far beyond Dan’s capability. The younger man seemed to be gathering herbs from plants that hung from the ceiling, mixing them meticulously and burning them. Dan felt useless just sitting on the floor and watching, but there wasn’t much he could do. Still, he sang the healing spells Arin had taught him under his breath, needing to feel like he was helping. He wanted to fix things. He wanted things to be better.

Time passed and the men kept singing, barely looking in Dan’s direction as they fixated on ensuring Arin’s health. Once they confirmed that Arin was resting easily and breathing regularly, they moved him into a spare bed. Finally the two mages returned to the living room and looked at Dan.

“What happened?” the older man asked, and Dan knew it was a question, but god, it didn’t sound like it. It sounded like a demand, a declarative sentence that didn’t oblige or inquire, it dictated. This guy was not fucking around.

“Arin and I, we,” Dan stuttered, his mouth and his mind on two separate wavelengths. Where could he even start? “The dragon. Dissonyth. And the lost spells.” He produced the scroll he’d salvaged, holding it up but not unrolling it. “This. I don’t - I don’t know what the fuck’s going on. Arin could explain it a lot better, but I’m, we’re.” He took a deep breath, letting his hands fall by his sides. “Friends. I’m his friend. I’m _your_ friend.”

The younger man looked to the older one, who nodded in approval. “I understand,” he said, his furrowed brow smoothing. “It’s a lot to take on, especially for someone so new to the world of magic. What’s your name, friend?”

Dan smiled, exhaling a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. “Daniel,” he said, and then immediately, “Danny,” because no one _actually_ called him Daniel.

“I’m Brian,” said the older man. His features were sunken in a bit, his face scarred and worn around the edges, but still kind and lively. “This is my apprentice, Ross.”

“Apprentice and _lover_ ,” Ross said, wiggling his eyebrows obnoxiously. The young mage was fresh faced, his cheeks rosy and his eyes glittering like he knew something you didn’t.

“Apprentice, lover, and piece of shit,” Brian amended, and Dan snorted in laughter. He liked this guy. Ross mocked offense and Brian smiled warmly. Ross opened his mouth, presumably for another witty retort, but Brian cut him off, addressing Dan. “You’ll be safe here. Arin can explain the rest to us in the morning, after he’s gotten some rest. You should rest too, Danny.”

“Yeah,” Ross piped up, “you look exhausted.” On any other day, Dan would’ve feigned being hurt by that comment, but he knew Ross was completely right. Ignoring how he could see the sun beginning to rise through the windows, Dan nodded.

“Thank you,” Dan said, more so in response to having a place to rest than being told he looked exhausted.

“Ross, would you lead Danny to the guest room?” Brian asked, and Ross nodded.

Dan rose to his feet, still shaky from the running and the earthquakes. The men looked on curiously, but said nothing. Dan followed Ross to the spare room, noticing the blush that naturally pooled around the man’s cheeks and ears. His face was dotted with light freckles, his nose turned up at the end. Dan suspected he was possibly part elf, somewhere down the line, maybe pixie. Whatever it was, he seemed to have an affinity for mischief.

“Sorry,” Ross said, knocking Dan out of his thoughts. Was Dan crazy, or was there the ghost of a smile on this guy’s lips? “We only have one guest room.” Dan looked into the room Ross had given him to see Arin already sleeping on the only bed in the room, his chest steadily rising and falling.

“That’s alright, man,” Dan said, way past the point of caring. “Thank you.” Ross smiled kindly at Dan as he said this, this time without a trace of impishness. He turned and left Dan, who entered the room and shut the door softly behind him. He slipped off his shoes and extra gear, placing the scroll on the bed’s nightstand and climbing carefully into bed, careful to avoid getting too close to Arin. The bed was huge, a never ending sea of sheets, fluffy and white and clean and so unlike the grime and soot they were caked in. Dan closed his eyes, allowing his brain to shut off as he quickly fell asleep.

 

These were the feelings Dan found himself waking up to: the warmth of the gentle sunlight streaming through the window, the coziness of the white sheets he was tangled in, a soft breeze that blew just past his face. Upon opening his eyes, Dan discovered that the breeze was being caused not by an open window or a draft, but by Arin’s small inhales and exhales as he slept. Dan also quickly discovered that this meant that Arin’s face was in extremely close proximity to his own, probably less than an inch or two. As his eyes adjusted to the light, Dan realized that in their sleep, he and Arin had shifted towards one another, ending up so close that Dan could practically count Arin’s long eyelashes as they glowed golden in the sunlight. His eyes trailed over Arin’s face, lingering on how Arin’s stubble had grown into scruff, how his hair fell in a perfect frame around his face, how pink and soft his lips looked. Dan felt his cheeks grow hot as he looked over Arin, but there really wasn’t much he could do - if he moved, Arin would wake up, and then Dan would be caught staring at his adventuring partner while he slept. Which was definitely uncool, so he had to stay where he was. But staying where he was made his brain short circuit and his cheeks feel like they were on fire. Shit.

The sensible part of Dan’s brain was yelling at Dan to go back to sleep, or at least close his eyes and pretend to. But that one tiny shiteating voice in his head was telling Dan to reach out and touch Arin’s face, to bring his hand to the place where Arin’s jaw met his ear, to brush the hair out of his face and trace the outline of Arin’s features with his fingertips. Luckily, Arin’s eyes fluttered open before Danny could listen to either voice in his head. Arin blinked a few times, taking in the scene before him (the scene in question being Danny staring at his closest friend as he slept and then freezing in paralyzed fear when he woke up, just to fucking clarify) and making sense of it in his head. Danny couldn’t blame him - passing out beside the ruins of a burning mountain and waking up with your good pal Dan two inches from your face with no recollection of where you are or how you got there had to be… rough.

Despite all of that, a big, sleepy smile spread on Arin’s face, something open and lazy and all too understanding. There was something smug behind it, yeah, but also something that shimmered and sparkled in the light, something like… hope. If Dan thought he was blushing before, that was _nothing_ compared to how red his cheeks were now. “G’mornin’,” Arin slurred, still sluggish from waking up.

Dan looked up to meet Arin’s eyes, something he hadn’t quite been able to do since Arin woke up. “Morning,” he answered meekly, the hint of a laugh in his voice as he smiled sheepishly back. Neither of them dared to move, simply looking at each other in the midday sunlight and basking in the moment of quiet. Moments like this - moments where the stress of the world seemed to fall away and all that was left was Arin and Dan in peaceful solitude - seemed to be few and far between. So, through some unspoken agreement, they let each other have this, this quiet admiration of one another. Dan didn’t know if there was something more behind it, or if this was just how adventuring worked. He tried not to let his mind dwell on it too long, letting himself live in the pools of Arin’s warm eyes without fear of the implications. And before the rest of the world crept in, it was magical.

But the boys did have to return to reality, due in part to their own rumbling stomachs. Upon treading outside of the guest room, the boys learned that Brian had cooked them a late breakfast, which they scarfed down thankfully.

“Brian what the fuck?” Ross asked, tilting his head over to Danny and Arin as they ate. Brian raised an eyebrow, not choosing to dignify Ross with a verbal response. Ross kept talking. “Every time I scarf something down like that, you get mad at me. I’m ‘devouring it before I can even taste it’ or something.” Ross’s bottom lip stuck out slightly as he pouted at Brian, who just started at him in return.

“Yeah, but you’ve never slain a _fucking dragon_ before devouring said food. Which tastes delicious, by the way, thank you very much for noticing.” Brian crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at Ross, who apparently hadn’t thanked Brian for cooking.

Ross smirked at this, like Brian had just fallen into his master trap. “Well I’ve slain _some sort of dragon, if you know wha_ -”

“ _Don’t_ make a dick joke right now,” Arin said around a mouthful of waffle, smiling a bit as he did.

“Dude,” Danny said in mock offense, “that is blatant dick joke censorship. It’s unethical, and I won’t stand for it.”

“That’s not the _only thing_ that won’t stand,” Ross said delightedly, throwing up finger guns at Danny. Brian took a deep breath to maintain his sanity.

“Actually,” Dan deadpanned, his expression flipping to complete numbness, “nevermind. Arin, you’re completely right. Ross, shut the fuck up.” Ross bust out laughing, doubling over in self satisfaction as the rest of the group rolled their eyes. Dan couldn’t help but laugh a little himself - Arin sure knew how to pick his friends.

After breakfast was finished, Ross drew up some baths for Arin and Dan (“You know, it’d be a lot less work for _me_ if you guys just bathed _together_ -” “Shut _up_ , Ross.”) and the two finally felt _clean_ , in a way they hadn’t felt since leaving Holly’s aviary. They were free of grime, soot, dirt, free of hunger, fatigue, the dull ache in their bones. Dan’s hair was fluffy and light, its flat greasiness lost in the bubbly water. Dan considered shaving but decided against it - the rugged, stubbly adventurer thing he had going on was a look, and he was kind of digging it. (Besides, Arin’s eyes had repeatedly traced his shadowy jawline that morning, so maybe Arin dug it too? Not that something like that mattered or anything.)

It was well into the afternoon, the boys sitting around the kitchen table and sipping on some sort of herbal tea that Brian had brewed before anyone started to ask any real questions. “So, uh,” Dan started awkwardly, keeping his eyes on the rim of his mug as he spoke, “how did you guys teleport us?” He looked up to find Brian and Ross staring at him in confusion and quickly elaborated. “Like, I thought that was a thing mages couldn’t really _do_ , especially over long distances. Unless Arin’s been lying to me this entire time and this journey could’ve been a _lot_ easier on my legs. And my back. And my _everything_ ,” Danny said, giving an Arin a pointed look. Ross and Brian laughed a little, suddenly understanding.

“Magic is a lot more powerful when two people are singing a spell,” Brian explained. “Teleportation takes a lot out of a mage, so usually it takes a whole group of people to perform a successful teleportation spell without seriously taxing the mages.”

“ _But_ ,” Ross interjected, “mages with stronger connections can perform harder spells, with more powerful results.” He nodded proudly before continuing. “And Brian and I are gay as hell, so we magicked you guys over here no problem.” Judging by the bags under their eyes and the weary exhaustion behind their smiles, Dan figured that _no problem_ was a bit of an exaggeration.

Brian exhaled through his nose a little, a fond smile on his lips as he looked at Ross. “Yeah, stronger bonds between mages equals more spellcasting ability between the two of you. Ross has been my apprentice for years now. We met back in Mensa Navis, and worked there under the crown until the city fell. With the bond that we have, we’re able to perform spells that dicks like Arin can’t even _dream_ of.” Dan snorted at that, watching Arin roll his eyes lovingly. Brain continued, a distant expression clouding his features. “If memory serves, Ross and I encountered some spells back in Mensa Navis that _required_ two mages to complete them. They’re rare, seeing as there aren’t many tasks that would require so much power that it would be impossible for a powerful mage to do alone, but they exist.”

“Rad,” Danny exhaled, eyes wide with interest. Brian nodded warmly in appreciation, thankful that someone gave a shit about what he was saying on an intellectual level. Dan got the feeling that if Ross was ever interested by Brian’s magic science, he never showed it. They seemed perfectly matched in asshole-ishness, and Dan was happy for them.

Having satisfied Dan with his explanation, Brian excused himself, saying he was going into the garden to pick some herbs. Arin, a twinge of guilt in his expression, offered his own help, telling Brian, “It’s only fair; you used most of your supplies on me last night.” Brian accepted the help, and the two went out through the back door with baskets in hand.

Ross yawned, stretching his arms above his head and arching his back. “I’m gonna go take a nap,” he announced. _Wasn’t it early afternoon, at the latest?_ Ross sauntered off, leaving Dan alone in the kitchen. He shuffled around, absently picking up the various knick-knacks that Brian and Ross had scattered around the house before resolving to go outside. He still had a lot of questions to ask.

Dan pushed through the back door, greeted by bright streams of sunshine and rolling green hills. The valleys before him were covered with tall grass that shot up to his hips - pathways were cleared to allow for easy navigation, and a loose sort of garden was set up across the plains. Wildflowers dotted the meadow, vegetables growing in their own dedicated spots and fruit trees springing from the ground at random intervals. Brian was working off in a section of the garden where the grass was so tall it almost obscured his whole body. Arin was leaning over a cluster of flowers, carefully picking purple flowers by their stems and dropping them into his basket. After taking a breath to steady himself, Dan headed towards Arin.

“Need any help?” he asked softly. Arin lifted his head from his work, a small smile spreading over his face when he saw who was greeting him.

“I won’t say no,” he said, and Danny settled into picking flowers beside him. Then Arin asked, “What’s up?” because he knew that there were things on Danny’s mind and that there was no avoiding this conversation. Not anymore.

Dan wrinkled his brow, confliction flashing across his face. He sighed. “Arin, I.” Another breath. “What’s happening?” A beat. “Who _are_ you?”

Arin pursed his lips, his hard expression focused in on the flowers in his hands. He took a deep breath, spurring himself to speak before he lost the nerve. “Before Mensa Navis fell, I was the royal family’s official mage. I was their first magical advisor, their confidant, their friend. They trusted me, Dan. And I failed them.” Dan opened his mouth to speak, but what could he have said? Not noticing, Arin pressed on. “When an evil magic brought the city to its knees, I was powerless to stop it. I watched as darkness enveloped the place I’d grown to call home, the people I loved and swore to protect. I…” Tears sparkled in Arin’s eyes, threatening to spill over. “I lost everything, Dan.” He bowed his head, tears falling freely onto the flower he was clutching. “I’m the only one left. The only one there that day that made it out of the city alive.” Dan moved a hand gingerly to Arin’s back, rubbing slow, comforting circles into it.

“I-” he started. “I’m so sorry.”

Arin sniffled, shaking his head and wiping his tears. He lifted his head and spoke, and Dan could feel stabs of pain in his heart as Arin tried not to sob. “M-my King and Queen, th-they told me to escape. To… To flee the city and leave them behind. The dark magic was headed for the castle, and in their final moments they bestowed on me the responsibility of resurrecting the city. Of finding the stolen spells and defeating the evil that’s plagued the country. And then I transported myself out, my magic too weak to save anyone else and my constitution too weak to die like a man. I ran. And I kept running. Until I found you.” Dan turned to look at Arin, the quizzical confusion in his eyes meeting with the desperate hope in Arin’s. “I found you and I knew what I had to do. I knew who I had to be. You were there, doing what I was too weak to do - taking responsibility and fighting back. Dan, we’re a team. I need you.”

Dan swallowed past the lump in his throat, his breathing heavy and his eyes watering. “The spell…?” he managed to ask, recalling how insistent Arin had been about securing the spell’s safety.

“The one you saved?” Arin asked. “I think it’s our only hope.”

Dan nodded, but he was frowning. There was still something that didn’t make sense. “Arin,” he said, “who’s doing all this? Stealing the spells, destroying the city…?”

Arin’s expression harded. “A man by the name of Mark. The Queen’s brother, a man who believes himself the rightful heir to the throne. When the Queen was married, all hopes of him ever donning the crown were crushed, and he allowed his jealousy to corrupt him. He… he wasn't always evil. I remember a time when…” Arin trailed off, the memory too painful for him to recount. Danny nodded in understanding, moving his hand to lace his fingers with Arin. He squeezed the man’s hand, urging him to go on. “Either way, he turned against his family, placing a curse on Mensa Navis and using his dark magic to bring on its destruction. You remember the swirling darkness that was at the bottom of the chasm in the mountain, right?” Danny nodded, recalling that Ryan had conjured a cloud of that same magic in the hopes of attacking them. That time felt like years ago, but it couldn’t have been longer than a few weeks. “That is Mark’s evil magic. It’s corrupted him beyond repair, poisoning his heart and turning him into a monster.”

Dan thought for a second, connecting some dots. “So all the spells that fell into that chasm…” Dan trailed off, not wanting to be correct. But Arin nodded, confirming his suspicions.

“Are now in Mark’s direct possession, yes. Who knows what he could be doing with them.” Oh god. This was all so much - Dan’s head was spinning trying to process it all, to weave it into one cohesive tale. Arin allowed him the silence, his eyes studying Dan’s face as Dan tried to make sense of everything.

Dan finally spoke, his voice tentative and unsure, but still somehow resolute. “So our next move is to find the ruins of Mensa Navis, right? How else would we resurrect it?”

Arin blinked in surprise, pulling his hand away from Dan’s. “Danny, I- I haven’t been honest with you this whole time because the truth is way bigger than you thought it was. So, I don’t… I don’t want you to feel obligated to keep going with me. You have every right to leave. I… I lied to you. You don’t owe me anything. I don’t want you to feel like this is your responsibility-”

“Arin,” Dan said, his voice gentle and soft. “I’m here for you. This is your whole life we’re talking about. Your fucking destiny, dude. And you are the best person I’ve ever come to know. If I can help you in any possible way, I’m going to. You can’t stop me.”

Arin’s face twisted, looking as if he were suddenly on the verge of sobs again. “Danny, I- I-” He took a shaky breath, trying to get his words out. When they came out, they were forced, almost unnatural sounding, like Arin was talking about something he couldn’t bear to think about. “I can’t guarantee your safety, Dan. Mark is… an unrepentant evil with an arsenal of arcane spells at his disposal. If you ever got hurt because of me, I don’t think I could-”

“Arin,” Dan said, because saying Arin’s name seemed to be the only thing that could jolt him out of his hypotheticals and into the moment. “This is my choice. I know the risks. I’m doing this for you.” Arin nodded, tears streaming down his cheeks. Dan looked at Arin for a moment before pulling him in for a hug, wrapping his arms around him and threading his fingers up through Arin’s hair. Arin’s strong arms circled around Dan’s torso, clinging onto Dan as he sobbed out soft “thank you”s into Dan’s neck. Dan felt a hot tear slide down his own cheek, nodding and squeezing his eyes closed. They stayed like that for a while, bound together by fate. It was up to them.

Eventually they broke apart and went back to picking flowers and herbs. The sun was hanging low in the sky when Brian walked over to help out. At Danny’s request, he started to recount his life in Mensa Navis. He explained that he and Ross were something like magical researchers, academics sworn to study and preserve ancient magic to further society’s understanding of it. They dabbled in spell writing as well, but they hadn’t written much since the fall of the city. Dan wasn’t sure if he was overstepping when he asked where they had been when Mensa Navis was attacked, but Brian answered easily enough. Mark had stolen the ancient archived spells mere hours before he attacked, and this thievery had not gone unnoticed by the royal family. The King went straight to Brian and Ross, explaining the situation and stressing that the information stay as covert as possible. The two were tasked with the mission of locating the magic and doing as much as they could to retrieve it. So Ross and Brian were on a search mission, far from Mensa Navis when the attack was made and ignorant to the city’s destruction until long after it occurred. They had managed to locate the lost spells in Dissonyth’s mountain, but were far too weak to make any attempts to get them back. Dan nodded. That dragon was scary as fuck - even Arin, who was apparently the best mage in the kingdom, almost died trying to take it on.

The sun was glowing golden between the summits of two hills, painting the sky orange and shining a shimmering light onto the herbs that the men picked. It was around this time that Ross stuck his head out of the back door, announcing that dinner was ready whenever they wanted it. Gathering all the plants they’d picked, the men headed inside, thanking Ross for the stew he’d made and sitting down around the fireplace. Arin sat in a rocking chair, rocking in it slowly, smooth enough so the wood didn’t creak. Ross and Brian sat pressed together on a loveseat, Ross’s head laying on Brian’s shoulder and Brian’s hand resting on Ross’s knee. Dan understood their need for intimacy - this had to be taking a lot out of the both of them, hiding two fugitives from the man who had brought ruin to the city they loved. Danny had overheard the two of them muttering something about protection spells over the house, and Dan was sure magic like that had to be utterly draining. There was no way Dan and Arin could stay here as long as they had stayed at Holly’s.

Dan himself sat on the floor, wrapping a blanket around both of his shoulders and crossing his legs, balancing his big bowl of stew between them. Dan stared into the fire as the men around him reminisced about their old life in the city. Feeling a little inadequate, Dan didn’t contribute much to the conversation. He couldn’t, really. Arin and his friends had all lead such wild, meaningful, adventurous, _important_ lives. They were people who meant something, who continued to mean something. Their destinies were big and impactful and sealed in the stars, while all Dan could say he’d done with his life was play his lute at an inn every night.

“Danny, bud,” Arin said, noticing how quiet Dan had grown, “you okay?”

Dan nodded, glancing quickly at Arin before turning back to the fire. “Yeah it’s just. You guys live such amazing lives. You’re important people with meaningful accomplishments behind you and shining destinies ahead of you. And all I’ve ever done with my life is play some shitty music gigs.”

Everyone frowned at Danny, upset that he was getting so down on himself. Ross spoke first. “But Dan, aren’t you on your own adventure right now?”

“And your past is what got you here in the first place. Without that, you would’ve never gotten this far,” Brian nodded in solemn support. “Who you are and where you come from is nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Yeah!” Ross said, smiling now. “And you’ve come so far already - don’t think we didn’t hear you humming those healing spells earlier. Could you do any sort of magic at all before this?”

Danny considered that for a moment, deciding on, “Not on purpose, no.”

“See!” Ross grinned in earnest, and Dan couldn’t help but smile back. But when Dan turned to look at Arin, he saw Arin staring at him with a mix of concern and blatant sadness. He hadn’t spoken this whole time, and Danny could only wonder what he was thinking.

With dinner done and conversation topics exhausted, the men decided to turn in for the night. Arin and Dan retreated to the guest bedroom, which had been a lot easier to share when both of them were completely drained from fighting a fucking dragon. As it stood now, Dan and Arin were standing awkwardly in the suddenly-way-too-small room, unsure of where to move or what to do. Danny offered to duck out to the bathroom to change into the clothes Brian had offered him to sleep in, just to relieve some of the weird tension. He did so and as he returned, Arin ducked out to do the same. While Arin was gone, Dan shut off the light and climbed into the bed. He figured it was best to do that when Arin wasn’t there - somehow he knew that’d be awkward. Dan closed his eyes and leveled his breathing, wondering if he could fall asleep before Arin returned to avoid a weird repeat of this morning, or something.

No such luck. Arin padded into the room only a few minutes after leaving, the floorboards creaking as he slowly walked over to the bed. He slipped under the covers, and there was a tense moment between them where neither of them spoke, moved, breathed.

And then Arin was shuffling in the bed, moving around until Dan felt Arin’s arm drape over him. He tried not to tense, unsure of what he should do. He took a deep breath and listened to his gut, moving his body back to line up with Arin, settling into Arin’s warmth and breathing in time to the rise and fall of Arin’s chest. Dan could practically feel Arin smiling behind him, an embarrassed smile of his own spreading over his lips. “Goodnight,” he said, shutting his eyes peacefully.

“Goodnight,” Arin said, and if Dan had been more awake, maybe he would’ve caught the note of sadness in Arin’s voice.

 

The next morning passed by much too quickly. Arin and Dan shuffled out of bed, too embarrassed to look each other in the eye as they did. They changed back into their own clothes, which Ross had been kind enough to wash for them by a stream earlier that morning. They enjoyed breakfast with their hosts, trying to ignore how tired the two men looked. Whatever magic they were using to protect Arin and Dan was clearly not sustainable for much longer. Sharing a hard look as they finished eating, Arin and Dan both knew that it was time to go.

They told Brian and Ross as much, thanking the men for their generosity and gathering their things. Brian refused to let them leave as empty handed as they’d arrived, stocking them up with food, herbs, full waterskins, and even a tent to pitch.

“If you need anything,” Brian said, looking pointedly at Arin.

“Please send word our way,” Ross finished his sentence, smiling kindly at Dan. Dan nodded his assent, thanking the men once more.

“Good luck,” Brian said solemnly. Arin stood in silence for a moment before pulling Ross and Brian into a hug. The hug was firm, unyielding - a warrior’s embrace. And really, that’s what it was. Arin was going off to battle, fighting for the home that Mark stole from him. From them all.

Danny and Arin set out, Arin leading the way as Dan followed behind. He’d never been to this part of the country before, not that he ever remembered. Rocky mountains intermingled with grassy hills, the air blowing crisp and cool around them. Dan walked in a comfortable silence with Arin, taking in the scenery and trying to ignore the protests his joints were already screaming. They traveled in this manor until the late afternoon. By this time, the landscape around them had shifted - no longer were they in a realm of meadows and mountains. Instead, Dan found himself atop a high plateau that dropped sharply into a churning ocean below. A sort of canyon was formed before him, dark pillars of rock rising up from the earth at odd angles, insurmountable highs above the water below. The only way through the area would require getting close to the cliff’s edge and subsequently, the dark depths of water at their base. _Fuck_ no.

Dan stopped dead in his tracks the moment he realized that there was a fucking neverending _ocean_ _or some shit_ at the bottom of the canyon, and Arin turned back to look at him in confusion. “C’mon dude, we gotta keep moving.”

Dan shook his head, his eyes wide with fear. “Not in that direction we don’t.” Arin frowned at him, and Dan shook his head, meeting his friend’s confused gaze. “We’ll find another way.” Arin didn’t budge, turning to look at how far the interminable cliff face stretched to either side and looking expectantly back at Dan. _Another way?_ his expression asked sarcastically. Dan ignored that. “C’mon,” he said, marching up to Arin and grabbing his wrist before dragging him along. “Let’s go.”

Arin sighed heavily, but he allowed his feet to move when Danny pulled him. They walked along the edge of the cliff (not too close though, Dan wasn’t fucking insane), seeing if there was some sort of overpass or landbridge they could find. There was nothing of the sort - they spent enough time walking that _that_ became _abundantly_ clear. But just as Arin was about to snap and ask Danny why he was being so weird about this whole thing anyways, something appeared on the edge of the horizon. Set back a few hundred feet from the edge of the cliff was a building, perched on the highest part of the plateau. Upon getting closer to the building, the two learned that it was a tavern, and an occupied one too, judging by the smoke rising from the chimney.

“See!” Danny said brightly, pulling Arin toward the tavern with a fresh vigor. “I told you there was something! Maybe they can help us out, give us directions or something!” Really, Dan was just glad that he could avoid the certain, watery death that trying to get past the canyon guaranteed.

“Yes,” Arin said dryly, so tired of Dan’s shit, “because going unarmed and alone into houses in the middle fucking of nowhere is always a great idea, absolutely genius, Daniel.” Regardless of Arin’s sass, they reached the tavern and entered without any casualties, so Dan considered that a victory, thank you very much.

The tavern itself was spacious, lofty and a little dusty. Dan couldn’t image they got too many patrons around here, especially after the capitol’s fall. But what interested Dan the most was the man standing behind the bar, polishing the counter with a rag. Was that…?

“Vernon?” Dan called out, smiling wildly as he strode over to his friend.

“Holy shit,” Vernon said softly as he realized who had walked in. “Danny! Buddy!” He made to hop over the counter, realized how terrible an idea that was, and shuffled around it so he could meet Dan in a tight hug. They pulled back, gripping each other by the shoulders and grinning. “Where’ve you been?” he asked, probably referring to how Dan had left his inn unannounced and had been adventuring for the past few weeks, maintaining no contact with his old friends.

“Adventuring,” Danny answered simply, deciding to keep things vague for simplicity’s sake. “What about you? Don’t you have your own inn to be running?”

Vernon nodded, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “Ah, yeah I do. But my pal Leighton runs this place, and her pegasus is pregnant, so she asked me to come over and help manage the tavern while she deals with the stables.” Dan nodded.

“What about your place?” he asked.

“Jack’s holding down the fort, so we’re living large right now.” He smiled brightly at Danny, and then, realizing they were still grasping each others shoulders, awkwardly put his arms down by his sides. His eyes wandered over Danny’s shoulder, where Arin was still standing by the entrance. “Who’s the boy?” Vernon asked with a distinct note of intrigue.

“Oh!” Dan said, turning to look at his friend. “That’s Arin! We’ve been travelling together this whole time. He’s a great guy.” Dan smiled as he said the last part, letting the grin reach his eyes.

“Oh, awesome,” Vernon said. “Hi, Arin!” he called. “I’m Vernon.”

Arin took the invitation to walk over to the two, shaking Vernon’s hand and saying, “Arin Hanson. It’s nice to meet you.” There was a slight pause, and then Arin spoke again. “So you and Dan are…?”

Vernon laughed, finding something funny in Arin’s question that Danny wasn’t picking up on, “Friends, don’t worry. My boyfriend’s back at home, taking care of my own tavern.” Arin nodded, his cheeks flaring up. Dan cocked his head, not even pretending to know what they were talking about. “So, _adventurers,_ ” Vernon continued, wiggling his eyebrows a little as he did, “is there anything I can do for you two?”

“Actually,” Arin said, the cogs in his brain starting to turn, “did you say pegasus?”

Which is why Vernon ended up escorting Danny and Arin into the stables behind the main building, where Leighton was tending to a very pregnant pegasus. She was very tall and very pretty, her features delicate and pointed and her skin shimmering a faint gold. She must have been a light elf, her short blonde hair curling just below her ears. She was on the ground with the creature, whispering to it and petting it gently. Vernon spoke up to get her attention.

“Hey, Leighton?” She snapped up from what she was doing to look at the men before her, frowning a little when she didn’t recognize Vernon’s companions. Danny, however, didn’t see any of this, because he was overwhelmed by the sheer magnificence of the creatures around him. The stable was full of mythological creatures, everything from horses to pegasi to _holy shit was that a fucking unicorn?_

“These are my friends Danny and Arin,” Vernon explained, gesturing to the men in question. Or at least, gesturing to Arin. Danny had already walked away from the conversation,  heading straight for the unicorn. Leighton nodded, standing and walking over to Arin and Vernon.

“Leighton Grey,” she said, her voice strong and dignified. She offered her hand to shake, seemingly forgetting it was covered in whatever hands got covered in when tending to pregnant animals. (Or maybe she didn’t forget. Maybe it was a power move. It was probably a power move.) Arin politely declined her handshake.

“Leighton,” Arin said, and Danny vaguely registered that he was using his Important, Responsible, Very Powerful Mage voice. Mainly though, he was enchanted by this _literal fucking unicorn_ he was petting. This was amazing. This was the best day of his life. “We were wondering if we could borrow one of your pegasi to help us on our journey.” Upon hearing this, Dan stopped what he was doing and turned back to Arin in confusion. _That_ was his plan?

Leighton seemed confused too, her brows knit in concentration. She was clearly sizing Arin up. “I don’t-” she started, but Dan cut her off.

“No harm will come to them,” he said, his hand still patting the neck of his unicorn. “We’ll take amazing care of them, it’s just that we’re on this really important quest and there are-” Now it was Leighton’s turn to cut off Danny, turning sharply to Vernon.

“Vernon?” she asked his opinion simply, her voice level and imploring.

Vernon shrugged in response. “Dan’s a good man,” he said earnestly. “Anyone he trusts, I can trust too.” Arin gave a solemn nod in thanks. “And if he says this is important, it is. We can trust him.” Leighton nodded, giving a small huff but still satisfied with Vernon’s testimony. _What a bro_ , Dan smiled to himself.

“Alright,” Leighton said. “Lend them Amanda.” Vernon nodded in understanding and Leighton went back to the pregnant pegasus, kneeling over it once again.

“This way, you guys,” Vernon said, taking them down the stable’s halls into the pen of another pegasus, pure white and gallant, towering over the boys as Vernon let her out of her stall.

“Oh my god I love her,” Danny said on one exhale, wrapping his arms around the creature’s neck. She whinnied gently, luckily not spooked by Dan’s sudden affection.

Arin looked sideways at Vernon, one eyebrow raised. “Amanda, huh? Strange name for a mythological creature.”

Vernon shrugged. “Just seemed to fit, I guess.” They led the pegasus outside, calling their goodbyes to Leighton as they did.

“Thank you,” Arin said to Vernon as they were preparing to leave. “We’ll have her back in a few days, safe and sound.”

“Totally,” Vernon smiled. “Stay safe, guys. If you need anything, please let us know.”

“Thanks Vern!” Danny beamed as he hopped up onto Amanda, getting himself situated behind Arin, who was taking the proverbial reigns. Proverbial because Leighton didn’t have any saddles or reigns, so they had to bareback it. Danny’s nose crinkled as he thought this - “barebacking it with Arin” wasn’t something he wanted to think about. At least, not in broad daylight.

They thanked Vernon again before Arin urged Amanda to start running. Directly toward the cliff’s edge. _Wonderful_. Danny’s arm’s flew around Arin’s waist as they picked up speed, holding on for dear life. Amanda jumped over the cliff’s edge and plummeted down for a second before extending her wings and soaring back up. Oh _god_ , this was fucking _terrifying_.

Even as Amanda steadied into less turbulent cruising across the sky, Dan didn’t release his grip on Arin. He was clinging helplessly to the man, his eyes screwed shut and his whole body pressed against Arin’s back. Yeah, maybe this hadn’t been the best idea.

“Are you okay?” Arin called back, yelling over the sound of the wind whipping past them.

Dan tightened his grip and yelled back, “ _I AM FUCKING TERRIFIED OF THE OCEAN_.”

Arin made a noise of understanding, finally realizing why Dan had been so vehement on finding another way to cross the canyons. He shook his head dismissively. “Don’t worry,” he said calmly, a smile in his voice. “Just hold on to me. I won’t let anything bad happen to us.” Dan frowned in disbelief. _Yeah, sure._

And of course, something bad happened, because why the fuck wouldn’t it?

They had only been flying for a few minutes before they met another figure soaring towards them. The rocky peaks below them had faded away, meaning they were flying over open, unbroken ocean. The dark water below them churned as what seemed to be a griffin flew towards them, carrying two figures on its back. Oh _god_ , was that…?

“Hey, _chumps_!” That was unmistakably Matt’s voice. Dan and Arin both sighed deeply. _These fucks again_.

“Listen up!” Ryan called from his place behind Matt. “You guys aren’t getting any further than this! Mark sent us to stop you, so you’ll _never_ get past us!”

Arin and Dan were unimpressed, to say the least. “Alright, assfucks,” Arin said, almost devoid of feeling. “Do your worst.”

Arin’s complete lack of emotion stopped the boys short, sitting and blinking at Arin and Dan from their place in the sky. “Are you guys like…?  Not even a little fucking scared?” Matt asked, his voice weak and a little sad.

Dan had no time for this. If Matt and Ryan wanted to be fucking jokes, they could do that on solid, dry land. “Can you guys shut the fuck up so we can keep moving?” Danny asked. Arin burst out laughing, surprised by Danny’s dry apathy towards Matt and Ryan.

Ryan gave a dark look to Matt before the two sped off, Matt at the reigns and Ryan in the back, singing notes that resonated deeply in his chest. A dark ball of magic whizzed by Arin and Dan, heating up the air as it passed by. “Oh shit!” Arin said, still giggling a little as he urged Amanda to take up evasive maneuvers. So they were having a sky battle now, awesome.

Ryan kept sending those dark fireballs their way, meaning Amanda had to keep bobbing and weaving to dodge getting hit. On top of maneuvering Amanda around Ryan’s attacks, Arin was also trying to sing counterattacks of his own, playing defensive and offensive. Dan felt useless sitting in the backseat and holding on for dear life, but there wasn’t much he could do. The spells he knew were nearly useless, and his fear of plunging into a cold, watery death would render him unable to pilot a flying beast. But still, if he didn’t do something, Matt and Ryan might actually take them down. Danny wracked his brain, trying to think of something, anything that could save them. And then it clicked.

As someone who had spent his time traveling between inns, Dan had picked up a lot of knowledge about magical creatures. Sometimes, when tips for singing were slow, he could find work as a stablehand, where he’d take care of whatever creatures the inn was housing for its patrons. Dan distinctly remembered taking care of a griffin once before, one much smaller and friendlier than the one Matt and Ryan were riding. He remembered how the stable master had warned Dan to empty his pockets of anything shiny - griffins were known for hoarding gold. At the time, Dan hadn’t had anything on him, so he had nothing to worry about. But if he could find something shiny now…

Dan searched his pockets, desperately trying to find something shiny enough to capture the griffin’s attention. Nothing. He didn’t wear jewelry, so that was out too. Fuck, what could he-?

Then it hit him. Dan took his lute off of his back, taking it in one hand and waving it in the sky. “Here birdy birdy birdy!” he yelled, making sure the light gleamed off his golden headstock. This needed to work.

“What are you doing?” Arin called back over his shoulder, nearly getting hit by Ryan’s magic in his distraction.

“Saving our asses. Hey birdy!” he yelled, louder than before. The griffin stopped in midair, refusing to heed Matt’s directions as it hovered, transfixed by the gold of the lute. It was progress, sure, but even with the griffin effectively stopped, Ryan was still casting his magic, his aim steadied by the griffin’s stillness. Dan took a deep breath. _Fuck it._ “Go fetch!” Dan yelled, chucking the lute and watching it fall down to the ocean below. A second passed before the griffin was diving down after it, taking a screaming Matt and Ryan along with him. Amanda soared ahead, her progress now unimpeded. Arin turned back to look at Dan in awe.

“Dan, wha-?” he stuttered, utterly lost. “How did you…?”

Danny shrugged, blushing a little. “I guess I know a thing or two about griffins.” Arin’s expression sadded, turning into a confused frown.

“But your lute…” he trailed off, not understanding why Danny had thrown that away, of all things. “I thought it was a family heirloom.”

Dan pursed his lips. He loved that lute, yes, but he didn’t really have any other option. It was the lute or their lives. “It was the only thing I had,” he explained, trying not to dwell on it. “Besides, I’m sure Avi will understand.” He smiled a little at this, remembering when his father had given him that lute. He was only a little boy, and it had grown to be his most prized possession. But still, Danny supposed all things had to come to an end. In response to Arin’s unwaivering sad expression, Danny said, “There’ll be other lutes, Arin.” He threw it away to save them.

Arin was quiet for a moment before breaking out into a huge smile. He looked so happy, so _proud_ of Dan. He turned around fully and moved his hand to the side of Dan’s face, cradling his cheek and laughing in elation. Dan’s stomach dropped and his breath became shallow - in that moment, all he could think was how much wanted to kiss Arin.

The two boys laughed in elation as they flew on, Dan’s fears of the ocean subsiding as the beauty of the sunset overcame him. They spotted Matt and Ryan on the ocean’s surface, protected in a magic bubble that was floating on the water’s surface. Dan got the feeling that they wouldn’t have to deal with those two for a long time. The griffin would occasionally fly back up to Arin and Dan, carrying the ruins of Danny’s headstock in his beak. He’d deposit the headstock in Danny’s lap and fly expectantly along beside them. “Is he…” Danny wondered aloud, looking cluelessly at Arin. “Is he waiting for me to throw it?”

Arin laughed, open and hearty. “Looks like it,” he answered, keeping their pace steady. Dan shook his head and laughed a little. This was really his life now.

So Dan played fetch with a griffin while riding into the sunset, his arms wrapped snugly around Arin and his mind free of fear. They made easy conversation about simple things, mostly talking about Danny’s past and what he’d spent his time doing before running away to the forest. Eventually, they came upon land, another plateau that mirrored the one they left, marking the end of the oceanic gorge. They landed safely, Dan avoiding the impulse to kiss the ground once they had.

There wasn’t really a way to tie up Amanda, so as the boys were setting up camp, they fed her and thanked her, but didn’t bother to try and stop her when she took off back in the direction of Leighton’s inn. It was probably better that she left now than risk getting hurt closer to Mensa Navis. Arin and Dan were left alone, Danny starting up a fire and Arin pitching the tent Ross and Brian had gifted them. As they cooked the food they’d been given, Arin pointed out the ruins of Mensa Navis on the distant horizon line. “We should be there in about a day’s time,” he remarked, and Danny’s chest tightened. This was it.

They climbed into their tent and fell into an uneasy sleep, exhaustion ruling out their anxiety.

The next day passed without incident. _Calm before the storm_ , Dan thought to himself, smiling sadly as he did. What had he gotten himself into?

After waking up and packing everything away, Dan and Arin set off in the direction of Mensa Navis. Arin didn’t speak, staring determinedly into the distance, his face stoic. Sure, Dan would’ve loved to talk to his friend, but he fully understood that he needed this silence. By nightfall, they’d be at the very place where Arin lost his whole life, the place that he blamed himself for not saving. It was understandable that he needed a little time to collect himself. So Dan passed the time by singing. Not spells or anything, just old songs he’d learned or written while he was performing as a bard.

He missed his lute.

The sun was setting again when Arin stopped. They were still several hundred feet away from the edge of the city, but Arin was wary of getting much closer. “Who knows what kind of traps Mark’s got set up?” Danny was inclined to agree. So, merely a stone’s throw from the border of Mensa Navis, they set up camp again, Danny struggling with the tent and Arin cooking up more of the food Ross and Brian had given to them. Danny and Arin feasted by the fireside, crowded together on a log Arin hadn’t used to feed the fire. The moon had risen high into the sky before Arin spoke, starlight catching the blond streak in his hair and making Dan’s chest ache, just a little.

“Dan, we…” Arin started, something nervous and fluttering in his voice. “The spell. We have to look at it. It’s time.”

Dan nodded, pulling the scroll out from where he’d been holding onto it. He unrolled it carefully and tried not to focus on how Arin scooted in a little closer to read it. They looked over the song, frowning a little as they did.

“Dude,” Danny said, a little confused. “There are two melody lines.” Arin nodded, his mind already whirring.

“It’s a duet,” he said simply. He looked panicked, like he didn’t know where to go from there. After all, Arin couldn’t perform a duet on his own, could he? Luckily for Arin, Dan was a fucking genius and already had a solution.

“I’ll sing it with you!” he said, smiling confidently to make up for how terrible of a suggestion that was. Yes, he was _alright_ at magic, but nowhere near Arin’s skill level. This was the most important spell of Arin’s life, and Dan could understand if Arin didn’t want Dan to fuck it up. Arin smiled sadly, sweet and pitiful. He opened his mouth to talk, but Danny rambled on, his mouth moving faster than his brain could filter. “I know I’m not a great mage by any means but I’ll try as hard as I possibly can because I _know_ how much this means to you and I would do anything to help you get there and help you be happy and Arin I just… fucking… I want to help you.”

Arin shook his head, still wearing that sad smile. “It’s not your mage skills, Dan. It’s…” He trailed off like there was something about the spell that Dan wasn’t getting, but he didn’t elaborate. “Listen Dan, that’s really sweet of you, but-” No, no, nope, Dan was not hearing any of that shit today.

 “Arin. You and I are going to learn this song.” Dan spoke levelly, forcefully, determinedly. This fucking _mattered_. He wasn’t going to let Arin throw this away. “I mean, we _could_ call Brian and Ross, but man… This is _your_ fight. It’s _your_ destiny.”

Arin was in his own thoughts, muttering something that sounded like “ _I don’t think even think_ those two _have the power for this one._ ” Dan set his jaw.

“But you do.” Arin threw Dan a dubious look, but Danny just shook his head and smiled like a goof. “And you taught me everything I know! So we’re unstoppable!” Arin’s head dropped as he laughed softly, and Dan grinned as he started to giggle himself. Dan’s body was on fire, reduced to every place Arin’s body was touching his - their legs pressed together, Dan’s fingers brushing Arin’s, Arin’s head falling softly on Dan’s shoulder. Dan wasn’t sure what this was, but he never wanted it to end.

And then, Arin just. Gave in. He looked at Dan and exhaled, nodding his head. He seemed to understand something that he hadn’t understood before. Trust something he hadn’t trusted before. Dan couldn’t put his finger on it; he was just glad that Arin believed him.

They started to go through the song together, working through their individual parts before seeing how they fit together. Danny took the higher line of the two, Arin opting for the bass part. As they softly sang through the spell, Dan could sense the magic’s effects. The sound of the wind seemed to die down around them, the stars grew brighter, and all Dan could feel was _Arin Arin Arin_. It pulsated through his body, his veins, his heart. Whatever this magic was, it was _powerful_. Even singing it as quietly as they were, Dan could feel his heart racing. Or maybe that was just the way Arin was looking at him.

When the two boys had effectively learned their spell, they put out the fire and headed into the tent. They lied down next to each other, not quite touching. Danny broke the hush that had fallen over them.

“Arin?” he asked. Arin hummed in response. “Do you think you know what that spell does?”

Arin was silent for a moment before answering. “I think it’ll lift the curse.” _Shit_. The two didn’t talk after that. Dan entwined his fingers with Arin’s before falling asleep, trying not to think of the day ahead of them.

 

The two groggily awoke the next morning, dreading having to get up. They had no idea what they were doing, and they only had one shot at this. “Come on,” Arin said after a while of pretending to be asleep. “Lets go stake out the terrain.” Dan took in a deep breath, nodding his head slowly. This was it.

They climbed out of their tent quietly, Arin shrugging on his cloak and Danny moving to sling his lute on his back before he remembered himself. _Oh yeah_. They walked carefully towards the edge of the city, peering into the gray fog ahead of them. Heavy clouds obscured the ruined city from their view, but the closer they got, the more they could decipher. Dan began to make out the dim shapes of the ruins - crumbling buildings, cracked windows, decayed gardens. The whole city seemed washed out, unnaturally grayed. No plants grew within the city’s boundaries, no animals stirred. Arin stopped just short of the city’s edge, paralyzed by something Dan couldn’t see. Dan threw his friend an inquisitive glance.

“Mark’s magic,” Arin explained succinctly. “It’s all over this place, dude, I can feel it. There’s no way we can sneak in undetected.”

Danny nodded, his eyebrows knit resolutely. “So we’ll have to fight our way through.” Dan paused a second, peering into the dismal city’s boundaries. “But… what’s there to fight?” The city was entirely empty, stagnant and devoid of life. The winds didn’t stir and the walls held their breath as Dan and Arin looked in.

“Who fucking knows,” Arin sighed, his exhaustion evident. “With all the spells he’s stolen, who knows what trap he’s laying.”

“Arin,” Danny said, his voice low, serious. The two bore into each other’s eyes. “Can we do this?” A hard silence. Arin looked so hopeless, so hurt, so clueless about what to do next. The impossibility of the task before them sank into their minds, their hearts, their consciousness like an anchor. Arin opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a soft rumbling in the distance.

The two turned slowly to face the noise, dreading what was coming their way. But as their approachers breached the horizon line, Dan and Arin both burst into amazed grins. _Holy shit_.

Coming towards them was Holly, swooping through the air in all her glory, Jimmy hanging on to her for dear life. Just behind them were Ross and Brian, approaching on foot, their hands clasped together and their faces set in grim determination. Bringing up the rear were Vernon and Leighton, riding a pegasus elegantly through the sky. Danny and Arin’s friends.

Arin and Dan ran towards them at full speed, yelling out their surprise as they did so. Broad smiles filled their faces - _they weren’t alone in this_. Holly swooped down to embrace Arin and Dan ran into Brian and Ross, placing his hands on their shoulders before bringing them in for a hug. Brian laughed as they hugged, looking over to Ross and smiling. Leighton brought her steed to the ground and helped Vernon dismount it, steadying him on the ground. Dan hugged him next, even bringing Leighton in for a hug. (She didn’t seem too pleased about it, but she didn’t object either. That was progress.)

“Holy shit, you guys,” Dan said on an exhale, barely able to believe the sight before him. He had pulled away from Vernon and Leighton and was looking at the line of people before him. Some of them were old friends, most of them were new, but all of them were here to support him and Arin in their time of need.

“Are you guys here to…?” Arin allowed his question to trail off, staring directly at Brian.

Brian gave a single nod in reply. “To help,” he answered firmly.

“To help kick some _fucking ass!_ ” Ross chimed in, and Jimmy cheered his affirmation. Arin and Dan felt tears pricking at their eyes.

“Thank you,” Arin said softly. There was something vulnerable in his voice, like he couldn’t have imagined his friends would ever do so much for him. Dan understood how he felt.

“So fucking much,” Dan added. It wasn’t that he didn’t think he and Arin could save Mensa Navis alone; that wasn’t it at all. It was just that Dan didn’t know if the two of them could save Mensa Navis alone and come out of it alive. Dan had grown too attached to Arin to risk losing him again. They were a team, after all.

“How did you…?” Arin asked, too overwhelmed to finish his statements.

Leighton explained carefully. “Amanda had come back earlier than expected, more spooked than expected.” Dan squeaked out a small, “Sorry” at that, but Leighton waved her hand dismissively. “It’s not a problem - we knew she was alright, but we knew nothing about the two of you. So I alerted Vernon and sent my phoenix to Holly and Jimmy to deliver the news - I knew she’d know more about your mission than I did. From there, she contacted Brian and Ross, who were able to locate you, and our motley crew set out to rescue you two late last night.”

“Rescue is a… strong word,” Danny objected weakly, trying to keep some of his dignity in tact. Vernon glared at him disbelievingly, and yeah, okay, Vernon was right.

“We’re here to help fight,” Holly said. Arin shook his head.

“I… _we_ …” Arin stumbled, “we can’t as you to do this. We have _no idea_ what’s lurking in the city walls, and there’s no guarantee that our spell’s going to work in the _first place_ , and I can’t risk-”

“Arin,” Brian said softly, looking at Arin with a hard stare. Holly moved to stand beside Arin.

“We’re your friends. Danny’s too. You’re not doing this alone,” she said, and everyone nodded in agreement. Dan smiled a little, moving to place his hand on Arin’s shoulder.

“I don’t think she’s taking no for an answer on this one, buddy,” he said. Arin laughed a little, hanging his head and nodding.

“Alright,” Arin breathed, looking up and searching the faces of his friends. Upon finding no hesitation or doubt in their expressions, he nodded again. “Let’s do this shit.”

The group made their way back to where Arin and Dan had set up camp, settling in and setting up the provisions they’d brought along. They spent the day hatching a plan to break into Mensa Navis, sharing food and cracking jokes in between. Arin was the most focused on devising strategies, spending the whole day enchanting the group’s weapons and coming up with a detailed plan of attack. Despite everyone’s high spirits, there was the looming presence of something big and important hanging over them, an ominous sense of foreboding that felt more tangible than ever before - Dan could see it slowly driving Arin insane. Arin didn’t allow himself a moment of downtime, keeping himself constantly occupied so he couldn’t focus on how terrifying their situation was. Dan wondered if anyone else noticed how Arin was running himself into the ground. It was abundantly clear to Danny that Arin was stretching himself too thin, having to constantly expend energy to uphold the enchantments he’d cast on his friends, their armor, their weapons, and their camp. Dan knew Arin wasn’t going to stop even if someone asked him to, so he settled for singing an energizing spell under his breath, trying to give Arin any sort of boost that he could get. He definitely needed it.

Arin relayed the full plan of attack over dinner, taking advantage of the solemnity of the occasion to hold everyone’s full attention. Arin had come up with specific points of entry and areas of attack to draw Mark’s forces out and spread his powers as thinly as possible. Dan watched his friends as Arin relayed the plan, trying to survey their varying mental states. Vernon and Leighton kept shooting each other looks - Vernon’s expressions were worried, somewhat doubtful of his own abilities. Leighton returned his looks with a resolute glare, but there was something kind behind it, reassuring, almost. When Leighton caught Dan looking at her, Dan didn’t freak out (which he was kind of proud of, because Leighton was very intimidating), giving her a solemn nod. She only stared at Dan for a second longer before returning the gesture. Brian was being his usual stoic self, his brow knit in determination as he thought through Arin’s plan, looking for flaws or improvements. But Dan noticed that Brian’s knuckles were white as he clung to Ross’s hand, his muscles tense as he sat. He was just as terrified as they all were, but Ross - and Danny, technically - were the only ones who really knew that. Ross was laying his head on Brian’s shoulder, playing it off like he was about to nod off because he had to listen to Arin’s plan _again_ , but in reality he was probably just trying to give Brian a sense of comfort. Dan tried not to draw any attention to them; Brian didn’t seem like a man who liked to showcase his emotions, so a little privacy was the least Danny could do. Holly kept rustling her wings, readjusting them out of what must have been a nervous habit. Jimmy was sitting close to the fire, brewing potions for the party to keep his hands busy. Dan looked over to Arin. He was sitting directly beside Dan, demonstrating the party’s battle strategies on a map he’d drawn into the dirt. Arin looked like a leader. Noble, determined, passionate. His brows would occasionally quirk in worry, or his lips would purse in uncertainty, but Dan seemed to be the only one who noticed these little ticks. Dan could see how Arin was trying to hide his nerves from the group, trying to be strong for their sake. This was the reason the King and Queen had tasked Arin with reviving Mensa Navis - he was a man who willingly put everything aside to see to his friends’ safety and his mission’s success. He was a leader, in every sense of the word.

With the plan all settled, everyone went to turn in for the night, heading into the tents they’d pitched earlier. Danny lingered outside with Arin, not wanting to go to bed without him. To make sure Arin was okay, of course.

“You coming, big cat?” Danny asked, a smile brightening his voice. Arin turned to Dan, an unreadable expression painting his face.

“You head in. I want to be alone for a minute.” _God_ , Dan thought to himself, looking into Arin’s eyes. He wanted… _something_. There was something inside his chest, something that yearned for the man who had become his best friend. He didn’t know why, but when they were standing like this, alone under the stars, Arin looking so sad, so conflicted, neither of them knowing if this was the last night they’d have together… Dan couldn’t put it into words, but he knew he felt _something_.

Dan walked over to Arin, grabbing both his hands and looking into his eyes. They stayed like that for a second, for an eternity, silent. Just the sound of each other’s breathing and the deep brown of Arin’s eyes. Arin nodded, closing his eyes and squeezing Danny’s hands before letting them go.

“Thank you, Dan,” he said, turning away. “For everything.” Another pang in Dan’s chest. It subsided into a steady ache that he tried not to feel.

“No matter what happens tomorrow…” Dan said, without really knowing how to end his sentence. Arin nodded anyways.

“Goodnight, Danny.”

“Goodnight, Arin.” And Dan walked into the tent alone, crawling into bed without the warm reassurance of Arin beside him. The spell he’d learned with Arin hadn’t left his brain since he’d learned it; its melody coursed through his bloodstream. The song seemed to get louder when he was around Arin, but it never truly faded away, even as he fell asleep alone in the quiet night.

Arin was in the tent when Danny woke up, frustratingly far away and sleeping on his side, his back to Danny. It was early morning - the pale sunlight barely pierced through the walls of the tent and birds were chirping in the distance, away from the lifeless borders of Mensa Navis. It was ass o’clock in the morning, but Danny was awake now, and he knew he wasn’t going back to sleep. Not today.

“Arin,” he said softly, nothing more than a whisper. “Are you awake?”

Arin chuckled to himself, a little darkly. “What gave it away? My crippling anxiety or my unyielding fear of failure?”

Dan considered that for a second. “Probably that fart you just let rip,” because dear god, it smelled fucking _terrible_ in the tent. Arin snorted. Dan was glad to know that they both still used humor as a coping mechanism. He took a deep breath, staring up at the top of the tent. “Wanna head outside?” Arin didn’t say anything, but Dan could hear him shuffling beside him. Dan roused himself, sitting up and shrugging on a jacket. Arin wrapped his cloak around himself and followed Dan outside. _He must have been up all night_ , Danny thought sadly. He wished he could have helped.

Dan and Arin hiked a short distance from the camp, just far enough so Mensa Navis was out of their sight. They settled at the bottom of a misty valley, sitting in silence on the dewy grass. Neither of them talked at first, opting to just sit and think for a while. There wasn’t really much to be said. But as Dan’s thoughts slowly devolved into images of how horribly wrong the rest of the day could pan out, he found himself speaking to clear his mind. “Are you scared?” he asked, looking up at the sky.

Arin was quiet for a moment, thinking. “Yes,” he replied eventually. “I think I’ve always been scared.” He chuckled to himself. “I don’t really think I ever thought I’d get this far. And now I’m here. _We’re_ here. We’re all here, on the cusp of something so fucking immense and insane and _important_ and I just.” An exhale. “I’m scared I’m going to fuck it all up.” Danny nodded. He couldn’t dispute that - there was a huge amount of pressure on every one of them, but on Arin more so than anyone. This was his _destiny_.

“Well,” Dan said, laying his head in Arin’s lap. “We’re not there yet. Right now, we’re here. Just you and me. Nothing to fuck up.” Arin looked at him inquisitively. “Think about it, dude. Right now, in this very moment, there’s no Mark. No Mensa Navis to save, no friends to battle with, no destiny to fulfill. It’s just you and me enjoying a sunrise together. Nothing else.” Arin smiled a little, understanding the fantasy Danny was making for him. He picked flowers from the ground around them and weaved them into Danny’s hair, tiny white buds that peeked out of his curls.

“You’re right,” he exhaled, trying to calm himself. “Just you and me. This moment is ours.” He let that hang in the air for a second, seeing if it was weird. It might have been, but Dan couldn’t bring himself to care. Arin moved on. “Danny, I. I know I’ve said this before, but I really wouldn’t be here without you.” He’d moved on to bigger flowers, blossoming pink carnations that he interlaced carefully with the flowers he’d already placed there. Dan focused on how Arin’s fingers moved, careful not to tug his hair or break the delicate flower stems. He breathed in the flowery scent of morning around him, even embracing how his stomach was doing backflips. He wanted to take in this moment for everything it was, to preserve it in his mind forever.

“Arin,” Dan said, savoring the way his friend’s name felt on his tongue. His eyes were closed, his expression relaxed. “I owe you everything. I’m _alive_ because of you.”

Arin laughed. “Are you talking about the numerous times I’ve saved your ass from dying, or?”

Dan frowned, trying not to laugh. “I meant that in more of a _you make me feel alive_ sort of thing, but sure, be a dick.” The two immediately burst into laughter at that, relishing the warm feeling of sunlight on their skin.

When Arin was satisfied with his flowers, Dan sat up and started putting sunflowers in Arin’s hair, weaving them in a crown around his head. “Hey Dan?” Danny hummed in response, trying to work the flowers into a braid. His mother had taught him how to braid hair when he was younger, before his hair had become completely untamable. He was really out of practice, but Arin didn’t seem to mind. He sat with his back turned to Dan, meaning Dan couldn’t see his expression as he talked. “I was thinking last night.” Dan tried to keep his fingers steady, so their fumbling wouldn’t betray his nerves. What was Arin doing? “About what you did earlier, that whole Matt and Ryan thing.”

“Oh!” Dan said, tension he didn’t know he’d had flooding out of his body. “The lute? I told you man, that’s fine.”

Arin shook his head. “But like, it’s really not. That was _your_ lute, and your dad’s before you. You loved that thing. And you gave it up to save us.” Dan pursed his lips. He wanted to argue with Arin, assure him that it wasn’t that big of a deal, but he had a feeling that conversation would go nowhere. “So I couldn’t sleep last night and I just kept thinking about how you gave up the most important thing in your life for this dumb fucking quest that I dragged you into and I really wanted to make it up to you and I know that’s impossible because I mean, _irreplaceable family heirloom with irreplaceable happy memories,_ you know, but I knew you deserved better than just losing it and having nothing and I - I’m rambling, holy shit, but I, uh. I made you this.” And Arin hummed something under his breath, something similar to Ross and Brian’s transportation spell, before turning to Dan.

He was holding something that looked almost iridescent, shifting from white to light blue at different angles, translucent in some places, entirely transparent in others. It was made of some sort of crystal, polished to gleam supernaturally. Dan could tell by its look that it was a product of Arin’s own magic. “ _Holy shit, Arin_ ,” Danny said on an exhale. Arin had made him a new lute.

Danny took it into his hands, his eyes wide with wonder. Arin spoke softly as Dan started to strum, testing the strings. “It should all be in tune. It looks really delicate and breakable, but I promise it’s not. Because, y’know. Magic.” He paused a second, waiting for a response from Dan. When he didn’t receive one, he sputtered, “I know it’ll never be what you lost, and I’m not trying to make you forget about that or anything, I just figured-” Arin stopped, catching Dan’s eye. A tear was trailing down Dan’s cheek.

“You did this for me?” he asked, awestruck. Arin nodded. “Dude, it’s _perfect_.” He pulled Arin in for a hug, the lute pressed between them. “Thank you,” he nodded, the flowers in his hair rustling. He pulled away, his hand staying on Arin’s shoulder. “You don’t have to like, sustain any magic to keep this thing physically present, do you? Because I super love it, but if it’s taxing you in any way-” Arin shook his head, laughing a little.

“Nah, I’m good. I made it last night, and now that it’s done I don’t have to keep enchanting it. It’s custom made, just for you.” He grinned, and there was something so _Arin_ about it that Dan could feel his chest start to tighten again. Whatever this feeling was, he didn’t want to lose it.

“Alright,” Dan said, slinging his new lute around his shoulder (god, it felt good to do that again). “We should probably head back to camp before Ross accuses me of giving you a blowjob in the bushes.” Arin laughed at that, the tips of his ears burning red as he threw his head back. Danny giggled, picking flowers out of his hair. He stuffed a carnation into his pocket, just because.

Dan moved over to help Arin take the flowers out of his hair, undoing the sorry excuse for a braid he’d done. He hummed to himself, little excerpts from the spell he’d learned with Arin. Something about it just stuck with him, refused to leave until its melody became almost second nature. Once Arin was de-sunflowered, the two found themselves standing face to face, very close to one another. Arin smirked, not unlike the douchey smiles he’d given Dan when they first met. “Kiss for good luck?” he asked, an eyebrow raised suggestively.

Dan laughed, but there was something hollow about it. Normally he’d get all blushy and tell Arin to stop or shoot something back himself, but not now. In the full light of morning, Dan could just make out the tops of Mensa Navis’s castle over Arin’s shoulder, a glaring reminder of what lied ahead of them today. Dan shuddered. “Don’t joke like that,” he said, brushing past Arin and setting off back towards the camp. This could be the last time Arin joked like that. That wasn’t something Dan could think about right now.

“What?” Arin called after him, still smirking. “You can make _blowjob_ jokes, but I can’t talk about kissing?” Dan laughed, shaking his head and not turning back to dignify Arin’s dumb face with a response. “Dan! Wait up!” Arin yelled after him, his footsteps swishing through the grass as he ran to Dan’s side.

They re-entered the camp just as their friends were waking up; everyone groggily congregated around the ashy fireplace and started ensuring everything was accounted for. Leighton polished off her sword as Vernon tended to their pegasus, making sure she was well rested and well fed for the day ahead. Ross and Brian were facing one another, their heads bowed and their fingers interlocked as they rested their foreheads against each other’s. Dan could hear them humming softly together, something low and sweet and terribly sad. Arin was going over the smallest intricacies of the plan and Holly was doing her best to make sure he didn’t kill himself over the tiny details. “After all,” Jimmy reminded Arin, “there’s no way of knowing what we’re up against. If shit hits the fan, we’ll have to improvise.” He was right, but that didn’t do much to help anyone’s nerves.

Dan felt the weight of each step he took as the group made their way towards Mensa Navis. His feet seemed to sink into the ground as he walked, requiring just a little more effort than normal to pick them back up again and move towards the city. He breathed sharply as he walked among his friends, staying steadfastly at Arin’s side and trying not to let the dim borders of the ruined city intimidate him. His friends peeled off from the main group in pairs, making their way to different entry points of the city, just according to their plan. When they arrived at the border, it was just Arin and Dan, who were meant to hang back so the others could survey and distract whatever Mark sent out to stop them. Arin and Dan were going for a stealthy entrance, but if worse came to worst, they would have to make due with a fashionably late arrival to a battle to the death.

They waited in silence, straining to hear any hint of what they were up against from within the confines of the city. Nothing. Dan could feel his blood pumping, his fingers clenching and unclenching, his breath quickening. The suspense was tangible in the air around them, making it hard to breathe through the foggy air. Arin and Dan exchanged a look charged with emotions that neither of them could ever hope to put into words before nodding gravely and pushing through the mist of Mensa Navis’s borders.

They were greeted with washed out buildings, toppled statues, shattered windows, dead greenery - sights that seemed to paralyze Arin, making him freeze where he stood with wide, horrified eyes. Dan grabbed Arin’s arm and pulled, yanking him out of his stupor. “C’mon,” he hissed, trying to keep his voice down as they slunk into the shadows. If Mark detected them, they were probably (definitely) dead.

Arin shook his head and took up the lead, taking narrow back alleys and shadowy shortcuts to reach the center of the city - the castle, where Mark had to be hiding. Distantly, they could hear the sound of deafening crashes, low groans, shrill screams. Dan’s heart ached - he wanted nothing more than to go help his friends, but that wasn’t his job right now. His job was to help Arin fuck up Mark’s shit, and nothing could deter him from that.

It wasn’t long until Danny learned what kind of defences Mark had sent after their party. The alley that he and Arin were running through had come to an intersection with a wider street, one that was more open and lacked the cover needed for stealthy forward motion. Dan was just about to say _fuck it_ and sprint across, when he spotted Holly and Jimmy coming down the street. Holly was in the air, flying backwards and singing a kind of magic Danny had never heard before, piercing and screeching like a bird of prey. Jimmy was on the ground, also moving backwards, a bow trained on something before them. As they fought past where Arin and Dan were concealed, the creature they were attacking came into view. It was unnaturally large, a giant humanoid figure made entirely out of the black smoky magic Arin and Dan had seen twice before. It was somehow more tangible now, turning from billowing smoke to a sort of sticky _goop_ in places. It seemed to originate from the ground, the black sludgy shit it was made out of dripping from its body as it moved. It was something more than a shadow, but not enough to be a fully tangible being. The place where its face should have been was featureless, just a black swirling mass that pooled and dripped in a way that no real face should have. It was unnerving, unhuman, _unnatural._ It was Mark’s doing, and it was _not_ something Dan wanted to fuck with.

When the monster had sunk far into the distance, Dan and Arin ran forward, snaking their way through the city with a renewed sense of purpose. Now they knew exactly what they were up against, and they were fucking _terrified_.

In their panic, Arin must have somehow lost his way, because before they knew it, the two were standing in the middle of what used to have been a town square. That would’ve been fine, except this town square was a completely open area with no semblance of cover whatsoever. _Fuck._ Arin was just about to pull Dan back the way they came when one of Mark’s not-quite-shadow monsters rose from the ground, bubbling up into a fighting stance before they could move. _Double fuck._

“Fuck my ass,” Arin mumbled, humming an iridescent sword into existence.

“There’s no time for that!” Danny shouted, pulling his lute out from behind him. Maybe now wasn’t the best time for buttsex jokes, but if he was going out, he was going out with a bang, goddammit. Arin huffed out a laugh as he sprung into action, dodging and weaving the monster’s fists and slicing through its magical body. Danny sang a confusion spell, accompanying himself on the lute as he tried to disorient the creature. They were doing a good job keeping the monster preoccupied as it swatted aimlessly, too confused to actually land a hit, but it didn’t seem to Danny like they were making any actual _progress_ here. Sure, Arin was doing a great job dodging and weaving, but his attacks weren’t _doing_ anything; any time he managed to slice off an appendage, it just grew back, dark magic swelling to fill the void of a missing extremity.

“Arin!” Danny called out between notes. Arin snapped his head to Dan, his expression conveying the _I’m a little busy here!_ that he didn’t vocalize. He lept into the air to make a slash at the creature’s head as Dan carried on. “We have to stop Mark!”

Arin landed from the jump, his strike landing true but proving utterly ineffective. He looked over his shoulder at Danny, his eyebrows knit in annoyance. “Yeah, no shit, Danny!” he yelled, and went back to the monster. _Fucking, not what I meant, asshole_ , Danny thought.

“No,” he yelled again, slinging his lute over his back. “We have to like! Actually fucking stop _him_ _!_ Not this weird shadow monster - if we waste our time here, we’ll never get to the root of the problem. We have to _go._ ” While Dan was explaining himself, Arin had made another swipe at the monster’s head, his blade slicing clean through. The monster’s head rolled off, dissipating into smoke as it hit the ground. Arin had just opened his mouth to gloat when the monster’s head began to regenerate, slowly but surely returning to its original form.

“Fuck,” Arin said, staring in awe at the monster. “You’re right. _Fuck._ ” He turned to Dan, his eyes fiery and intense like Dan had never seen them. “Okay. Mark’s got to be in the castle - it’s the most easily defended place in the city. We run from this goopy motherfucker, get to the castle, take Mark down, and save the kingdom.” Dan took a deep breath, fighting through the anxiety bubbling up in the pit of his stomach. The monster’s head was back to normal now, allowing the creature to regain its senses. There was a daring glint in Arin’s eyes as he turned to Danny, poised to start sprinting to the castle. “Ready?” he asked, an unabashed smirk on his face.

Danny smiled back, not unafraid, but… hopeful, somehow. Like they had a fighting chance. “Ready.” The monster made a lunge for the two of them, but they both rolled out of the way, getting to their feet and making their way out of the clearing. Arin took up the lead, running as fast as his legs would take him to the center of the city. Dan followed closely behind, noticing that the monster was hot on their tails. Arin didn’t bother with evasive maneuvers - that would only slow them down. They were making a crazy beeline for the castle, hoping that they could outrun Mark’s magic. Their hope was in vain, and they knew it, but that wasn’t going to stop them from trying.

They were out in the open now, Arin giving up on being stealthy since their cover had already been super blown. Everything was going fine until Arin and Dan came upon a dead end, rubble from toppled buildings blocking off the path that used to be there. “ _Shit!_ ” Arin yelled, skidding to a stop before he crashed into the barrier. He and Dan turned to face the monster that was rapidly gaining on them, bracing for impact when suddenly, the monster just stopped dead in its tracks. It turned away from Arin and Danny slowly, almost like it was offended. Dan could just make out a tiny arrow lodged in the back of its head. Standing before the monster was Jimmy, wielding his bow defiantly and giving a sassy wave to the creature. “ _Hi!_ ” he called sweetly, grinning as the monster grew angrier. Before it could make a move, Holly swooped down from the sky, a giant, enchanted hammer gleaming in her hands. It smashed through the monster’s body, causing the goop of its body to explode everywhere, coating the surrounding surfaces. Dan stood in shock, wiping the remains of the creature off of his clothes.

“Keep going!” Jimmy called out to them, jolting Dan out of his trance.

“Yeah,” Holly added. “Run! He won’t stay down for long!” She was right - Dan could already see the magic pooling back up, congealing in the very spot Holly had struck it down. Yeah, no thank you on that. Arin, momentarily entranced as Dan had been, also just returned to his senses and was already beckoning Dan down an alternate path.

“Thank you!” Dan called over his shoulder; Holly and Jimmy nodded in acknowledgement, moving on to another shadow creature that was coming for them. Dan could feel fire in his chest every time he heaved in a breath, pain shooting through his legs with each step, but he had to keep moving. They couldn’t afford another close call like that.

They reached the center of the city fairly quickly, an open space where tattered flags hung limp in the air and cobblestone crumbled beneath their feet. There was no hint of movement, no animal life or vegetation to speak of. Things were unnaturally still, eerily quiet. Dan had never visited Mensa Navis before this, so he knew nothing of what the city looked like in its prime. All he could see now were the lifeless remains of what must have once been a bustling capital and the dark expanse of the castle that loomed above him.

The castle must have been beautiful once. High stained glass windows dotted the outside, supported by flying buttresses that attached to beautiful balconies. Sturdy stone columns upheld the castle’s high arches and towers, embellished with intricate carvings of flowers, swords, magical creatures, and everything in between. Dan could see spaces that used to be beautiful gardens, places where ivy used to climb up the castle’s walls, statues that used to stand with dignity and vigilance, wear on the ground where important feet used to tread. He stood transfixed in the clearing before the castle, wondering about the lives that used to be lived in this very place. The lives that Mark had stolen. Dan set his jaw and clenched his fists, ready to beat the living shit out of the selfish man who had taken away the kingdom. The man who’d ruined Arin’s life.

He was about to take the first step towards the castle when out of fucking _nowhere_ , a circle of Mark’s shadow creatures sprang up from the ground, enclosing Arin and Dan within a wall of what must have been at least twenty monsters. Arin, who up until this point, had been lost in his own memories, shook himself out of his reminiscing and reformed his sword. He sang two magical daggers into Dan’s hands, which was about as useful as giving Dan a set of bagpipes, but he appreciated the thought. Dan and Arin stood back to back, watching as the monsters solidified in front of them. They were smaller than the giant monster that had chased them, each one standing a little shorter than Dan and Arin. But the two were still hopelessly outnumbered, and coupled with the fact that they hadn’t found a way to actually kill these things yet, Arin and Dan were pretty much boned. Either way, their only option was to fight their way through, even if they had no chance of winning.

The circle of monsters were closing in on Dan and Arin when they heard the sound of wings flapping overhead. Dan turned to find the source of the sound and saw Vernon and Leighton riding their pegasus straight towards them, Leighton’s sword at the ready and Vernon holding a huge bottle of something. Leighton steered her steed with one hand and wielded her sword with the other, flying around the outside of the shadow creatures’ circle and slicing through each one of them. Dan cheered as she did, because it looked _really kickass._ The creatures’ smoky bodies melted into the ground, unable to support themselves but quickly reforming.

“We’ve got this!” Vernon said, pouring out the contents of his bottle over the swirling darkness. Dan thought the liquid looked like oil. “Keep going!” Dan and Arin ran towards the front doors of the castle, yelling their thanks again as they did so. Only upon looking back did Dan realize he was right - Vernon had poured oil over the monsters and dropped a lit match. The oil caught fire immediately, a blazing heat spreading through the courtyard. The creatures bubbled like tar in the flames; as they struggled to return to their original form, Dan could only be glad they didn’t have mouths to scream. It looked agonizingly painful, but it wasn’t going to kill them. Still, it slowed them down enough that they weren’t going to be a problem for Arin and Danny anymore.

Arin shoved the castle door open (seriously, you’d think Mark would’ve like, _locked it_ or something, but maybe he was just that much of a dick) and barreled inside, making his way to the throne room by memory. Danny followed, the daggers Arin had made dissipating into the air. Arin strode forward with power, each footstep purposeful and _fucking pissed_. He was unlike Danny had ever seen him before - with Dissonyth, he’d been deft and quick, a controlled, planned precision to his actions, even when he was angry. But this was reckless, a single minded charge to the end, damn the consequences. A white rage, burning steady and hot and uncontrollably within him. He was finding Mark, and he was finishing this _now_.

The throne room was a grand structure, a room with rich stained glass windows and a high ceiling. Tattered and faded banners from the old monarchy still hung on the walls, cobwebbed with disuse. Two thrones sat upon a dias at the back of the room, upholstered in a deep swirling purple. The room was dimly lit, shadows swimming in every corner, but it was impossible to miss the figure standing in the room’s center. He was… shorter than Dan had expected, that was for sure, but the intimidation lost by his short stature was easily regained by his black eyes, sickly skin, and deep red veins that contrasted brightly with his complexion. He looked supernatural, as if his life force was being sustained on nothing more than his own dark magic. His fists were clenched and his eyes were cast down, studying the floor as if it were a map. Perhaps it was enchanted to be just that, and that was how he was distributing and overseeing his magical forces. Either way, that ceased to matter the second the figure looked up to address them. There was no mistaking it. That was Mark.

He met Arin’s eyes - Dan looked on in silent horror as Mark blinked and the coal black drained from his eyes, leaving two deep brown irises in its place. There was a hint of surprise in the quirk of his eyebrow, almost like he was impressed someone had made it this far. The dry amazement quickly faded from his face, leaving him cold and impassive. He had a sort of heavy deliberateness about him, like he had to keep everything about himself in check with a harsh meticulousness to keep from falling apart. Everything he did seemed cool and planned, but just below the surface was something wild and broiling, something stirring that had been dormant for a long time.

“Arin Hanson.” Mark’s voice was silk, deep and legato, smooth and slimy. It made Dan’s skin crawl. The fact that he knew Arin’s name was enough to get a start out of the mage, prompting a laugh from Mark. “What, you don’t think I remember you?” He spoke slowly, like a cat playing with its food. Arin balled his fists up by his sides, his nails digging into his hands. His weapons were gone, but Dan knew as well as anyone that he could reconjure them at a moment’s notice. “Of course I do, Arin. We were kids together! We grew up together! We all did.” He was smiling, wide and wicked, like he’d already won. “How could I forget you! First magical advisor to the throne!” Dan could feel his own heart hammering in his chest, his throat tightening as Mark spoke. “And look how far that’s gotten you.”

“Cut the shit, Mark,” Arin growled, his voice low and dangerous. “I know your games.”

“You _don’t_ know,” Mark spat back, glowering at Arin. “You don’t know _shit_ about me, Hanson. What it’s like to be alienated from your own family, what years of always coming last feels like. What it’s like to be less important than that _farm boy_ made king, to be less important than fucking _you_.”

“Actually,” Arin cut in, eyes narrowed and voice rising, “I do know what it’s like to be you. To be a fucking coward. To run away from your problems. Only _unlike_ you, I stopped running. I came back. And I’m here to face the fucking music, Mark. Can you do that?” Mark lowered his eyebrows, craning his neck to look around Arin and peering at Danny. It was the first time Mark had acknowledged Danny’s presence, and he could feel a cold shiver run up his spine as they locked eyes.

Mark laughed, something deep and evil that bubbled up like bile from his throat. “Oh, I see. I understand, Arin. Perhaps you _do_ know something about me.” He started to pace the room, his eyes tracing the edges of the ceiling and his hands clasped behind his back. Dan couldn’t help but notice that the shadows of the room pooled around his feet as he walked. “Yes, I ran away from my problems. After my parents had passed and my sister had announced her engagement to a common farm boy, I felt like my future had been taken from me. The throne was _mine_ , or at least as much mine as it was hers. But when she stole my fate from me without even considering how I’d feel, I felt… I felt hopeless. Everything I’d known was gone, nothing but mist. So I ran. I had a friend to go to. Sean was his name, but I’d always called him Jack. You remember him, Arin, don’t you? My family had never approved of him, but when it came down to it, he was all I had left, the only person I could turn to. And he showed me things, Arin. Things you can’t even dream of. Dark magic, _real_ magic. Songs with unquantifiable power, more than any mage alive could contain. He showed me how to control it, how to embrace it. He was all I ever had.

“I trained with him for years, allowing my family to think I was dead. They told me they searched for me, but I know that was a lie. They wanted me dead, Arin. It was simpler for them that way.” Arin opened his mouth to speak, but Mark cut him off, sending a black shadow snaking across the floor. It rose from the ground in the form of a hand and Mark made its smoky fingers close around Arin’s throat, rendering him unable to speak. Danny made to move, but Mark held up his hand and Dan found that more shadowy hands were at his feet, keeping him anchored to the ground. The were cold, lifeless, but immoveable, trapping Dan no matter how much he tried to escape. “I was weak, Arin. I always had been. But I found someone who taught me how to be so much more.” Mark blinked, slow and calculated. He flicked his eyes over to Dan, boring into his features with a cold glare. “Has this boy done that for you?” The hand on Arin’s throat was lifting him into the air slowly as Mark spoke, but dissipated when Mark finished. Arin fell to the ground, clutching at his neck and gasping for air. Dan, also freed from his imprisoners, ran to Arin’s side, throwing himself down on the floor and making sure Arin was okay. “I’m waiting,” Mark crooned, gaining some sort of sick satisfaction out of this.

“What you and Jack have,” Arin coughed, lifting his head to meet Mark’s eyes, “isn’t what we have.” Dan frowned, not knowing why that left an ache in his chest. Arin was just saying that they weren’t completely evil and unhealthily self destructive, right? He definitely wasn’t denouncing his entire friendship with Dan, right? Dan made eye contact with Arin and found Arin’s eyes weren’t cold towards Danny, instead shining resolute and strong. Dan nodded, turning back to Mark with a steely look. Mark and Jack’s magic was evil, codependent and recklessly ruinous. Arin was right. Whatever he and Arin had was nothing like that.

Mark grimaced, his expression looking almost disappointed. “I see. No joining the dark side today, I suppose. Alright. Well, there’s really only one other way for this to end.” He unclasped his hands, training his gaze on the two men on the floor. “Up you go, Hanson. The least I can do is give an honorable death to a childhood friend.” He smiled, sickeningly, intoxicatingly. Still, Dan could see the twinge of sadness in his eyes, a reluctance that it had come to this. Friend against friend, both believing they had nothing, both willing to lose everything.

Arin rose to his feet, declining Danny’s help to do so. “I’m facing the music, Arin,” Mark’s dulcet voice rumbled. “But I think you’re a little flat.”

“Oh come on,” Danny groaned from where he stood behind Arin.

Arin nodded in agreement, shrugging at Mark. “Yeah, that was a pretty bad one, dude,” he said, sure to keep Dan behind him. Dan could feel the corner of Arin’s mouth twitch up as he said, “Maybe lay off the cliches a bit.”

“Oh, fuck you,” Mark snarled before immediately launching into battle. The song started to sing was almost painful to listen to, dissonant in a way that was fundamentally off putting. A song was supposed to be a journey, but Mark’s song had no beginning or ending - there was no stability, no _home._ Just diminished leaps and chromatic steps that encircled Danny, clouding his head and ringing in his ears. The melody of the scroll he’d saved, the song that felt like it had become an extension of himself was lost in the cacophony. Dan immediately clasped his hands over his ears, but Arin steeled himself against the music, singing a counter melody that tried to made sense of Mark’s song, weakening its discord.

A sort of protective barrier encircled Arin and Dan, muffling the sound of Mark’s spell. Mark tried making another shadow hand to choke Arin, but the shadow couldn’t pass through the wall of radiant white light Arin had created. Oh _hell_ yeah.

Mark, clearly pissed, hurled a ball of choking black smoke at Dan and Arin, who both jumped out of the way - Arin to the left, Dan to the right. Which meant that Dan was no longer in Arin’s protection bubble, but Mark’s attention was pretty solely trained on Arin at the moment, so Dan was alright there. Sure, Mark’s music was deafening and mildly deranging outside of the force field, but the song was a duet ( _which no one knows for sure is going to work in the first place_ , Dan’s mind supplemented unhelpfully), and Arin didn’t really seem like he was in a position to start singing with him right now.

Trying to recall the spell that Arin had used earlier, Dan started singing what he hoped could conjure up some sort of weapon. He put a finger in his ear to hear himself better, trying to block Mark’s spell out while staying inconspicuous enough not to draw Mark’s attention. He managed to make a tiny dagger, nothing fancy but more than enough to inflict some pain. Mark and Arin seemed entirely occupied by one another, interchangeably casting beams of white light, black shadows, red fire, and pink electricity, none of which seemed to be having any effect on their target. Dan knew that was going nowhere; without outside intervention, Arin was going to exhaust himself and they’d all be dead. Dan wasn’t about to let that happen, so he became the outside intervention.

Dan crept around the edges of the room, moving slowly and carefully behind Mark’s turned back. There were no shadows to conceal him - they were all pooled unnaturally at Mark’s feet, swallowing him up in their depths. _Just one clean swipe and this is all over_ , Dan thought to himself, his knuckles white around the knife in his hand. A single blue crystal was lodged in its hilt, cool to the touch. He stepped out into the center of the room, trying to keep his footsteps as light as possible and praying that Arin could keep Mark distracted for just another second.

Dan had raised his dagger in the air, but in the same moment, Mark had that Arin had stopped with the offensive spells, not wanting to hit Dan in the crossfire. Mark turned to find Danny inches away with a knife poised to strike and practically _roared_ in anger, emanating a wave of darkness that sent Danny flying backwards. “ **DAN!** ” Danny could hear Arin’s voice shout over the ringing in his own ears. He wasn’t unconscious (not yet, anyway) but it was going to be a good minute or two before he was alright to stand again.

Dan was able to open his eyes after a second, but the sight he was greeted with wasn’t much of a consolation. Arin, in yelling Dan’s name, had dropped his guard just enough for Mark to land a spell, blasting Arin back against the stained glass window and rendering him immobile as hundreds of shadow hands growing from behind him held him snuggly against the dulled panes. Hands crawled over him, holding his appendages down, covering his mouth so he couldn’t speak. Mark was standing in the center of the room, held up by his shadows and laughing, an honest to god evil villain laugh that made Dan want to strangle him where he stood.

“I’d say that was fitting for a last word, huh Arin?” His eyes were back to all black again, this time with a pinprick of green light in the center. “ _Pathetic_ , just like the two of you.” The hands closed around Arin’s neck, wringing the life out of him as he gasped for air. “Nice seeing you again, old friend.” Arin and Danny locked eyes, Dan trying to speak past the dryness of his throat and Arin trying to look past the tears welling in his eyes. _I’m sorry_ , Arin mouthed as the hand covering his lips moved to his neck. The brightness began to fade from Arin’s eyes, something glassy and dull clouding over them. Dan tried to no avail to move his limbs, almost vomiting from the sharp pain of forcing himself into action. It was hopeless. Dan could see the shadows pooling behind the stained glass mural, like Death himself had come to retrieve Arin.

But as the shadow grew, it became clear that it wasn’t Death, or even Mark’s magic. The window shattered, the shadows revealing themselves to be Ross and Brian, who’d just totally ruined the throne room’s accent wall. ( _In all honesty_ , Dan thought, _it was tacky anyways._ )

Ross, in all his elegance, yelled, “ **EAT SHIT, FUCKER!** ” before he and Brian launched into an intertwining melody full of voice crossings and tight harmonies. All Mark could manage was a deadpanned “What the fuck” before all the shadows in the room receded to Mark’s feet and a shimmering gold box materialized around Mark. The transparent cage quickly became opaque, the swirling smoke of Mark’s magic filling the prison and turning it pitch black. As Ross and Brian continued to sing, more and more of Mark’s magic returned to its creator, bound inside the cage as he was. With no shadow hands to support him, Arin fell to the ground, not even waiting to regain his breath before stumbling over to Danny’s side, a healing spell tumbling out of his mouth the second he was able to make sounds again.

The fog in Danny’s head cleared, leaving a dull ache where there used to be sharp stabs of pain. “Arin,” he said softly, raising a hand to touch Arin’s cheek. Arin was coughing, swallowing air like he’d never breathed before, not yet realizing that it wasn’t all over. Dan pulled Arin in for a tight hug, his eyes screwed shut and his hands clenched in the fabric of Arin’s shirt. They were alive.

“Hey guys,” Brian managed through gritted teeth. The rest of the group, no longer preoccupied with fighting Mark’s shadow monsters, were now converging in the throne room, using the giant hole in the wall as a shortcut. “I- I’m not sure how much longer we can hold this,” he sputtered, and quickly returned to his song. Dan could see the perspiration gathering on their foreheads as the spell took everything out of Brian and Ross. It wasn’t over yet.

“Alright,” Arin said, powerful and confident and ready to lead. He helped Dan get to his feet and looked over his friends with an air of finality. “Let’s fuck it up.” Their friends let out a triumphant holler as Mark’s shadows began to slink through the cracks of the cage. The monsters all took the form of Mark, amalgamating from the shadows on the ground and encircling the party. Ross and Brian kept up their song as best they could as they started to fight, using magic staffs and battle spells that they integrated into their imprisoning song to keep the shadows at bay. Holly swung violently with her hammer, teaming up with Leighton and her sword to take out as many targets at once. Jimmy was sitting on the back of Vernon’s pegasus, shooting arrows down at the doppelgangers from the ceiling. Dan and Arin stood together in the center of the room, watching their friends put their lives on the line for the two of them. Their friends had risked everything for this mission, put their faith and trust in the two boys. They weren’t just fighting for their lives, or even for Arin and Danny. They were fighting for Mensa Navis. It was all up to Arin and Dan now.

“ _Arin!_ ” Dan yelled over the uproar of the battle, grabbing Arin by the shoulders. “ _We’ve got to sing that spell! Now!_ ”

Arin just looked back at Dan, hopeless, broken. “Dan, we… We can’t fucking do it.” Before Dan could sputter out a _The fuck do you mean?!_ , Arin continued. “I didn’t tell you because I… I’m a fucking idiot and I thought we could but… This spell requires perfect chemistry between the two spellcasters, unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Dan, we… we’d have to be in love for this to work.”

And Dan, in a stroke of utter genius, impulsiveness, and honesty, could think of nothing else to do other than yell, “ _We are!_ ” before bringing his lips to Arin’s like their lives depended on it. Which in a way, they sort of did. Arin’s lips were sweet and softer than Dan had expected, exhilaratingly new and all too familiar at the same time. Arin was surprised at first, obviously, but was quick to agree with Dan’s assertion, swiping his tongue across Dan’s bottom lip. They pulled apart, feeling just a little guilty for starting a makeout session in the middle of a battlefield.

Arin was smiling widely, genuinely, brilliantly, full of hope and light and the promise of a future. Danny’s heart was beating insanely, pumping in his chest and his throat and his head and his ears and his _whole body_ , his whole body just seemed to chant _Arin, Arin, Arin_. “ **LET’S SAVE THE FUCKING KINGDOM!** ” he yelled, and they began to sing.

The music came naturally to Arin and Dan, like it had been written just for the two of them. It started with wide, open intervals, notes with swaths of space between them, allowing each part independence and fluidity. But as the song carried on, the two parts became more intimate, dancing around one another before skipping away, creating close harmonies that flirted around unity but never quite reached it. As they sang, the two boys were surrounded by a bright white light, a light that encircled them and made them feel weightless. Before they knew it, their feet were off the ground, the power of their song making them levitate in the air. Swirls of blue and pink began to appear in the light, wrapping around them as their song continued. All Dan could see was Arin’s face, so close to his, singing a melody that filled his ears, his chest, his soul. He felt Arin’s body pressed tightly to his, Arin’s arms wrapped around him, keeping them together as they lifted higher and higher off the ground.

The color of Arin and Danny’s spell began to spread, expanding to the corners of the room as they crescendoed. Arin and Dan reached the peak of their song, singing at the top of their lungs and smiling as they looked into each other’s eyes. Their light _burst_ out from within them, an explosion of color and sound and feeling that cascaded over the whole city. All Danny could feel was Arin, _love_ for Arin, as real and true as anything he’d ever felt. Arin and Dan began to sink back down to the earth as their song came to a close, the spell subsiding as the two parts made their way back together, joining the separate melodies into one. For what felt like an eternity, all Dan could see was Arin’s face, tears welling in his eyes but smiling brighter than Dan had ever seen. They fucking _did it_.

As the dust settled and the smoke cleared, Arin and Dan started to take in the scope of their spell’s effects. Through the broken window, Dan could see that the boiling clouds had parted, revealing a blue sky and golden sunshine that warmed his skin. The color of the city was back, faded banners and tapestries returning to their full brightness, washed out houses regaining their vibrance, and even the shattered remains of the stained glass window looking polished and new. Their friends were hugging one another, congratulating each other on their victory. Dan noticed that the melody of the spell had left him - not entirely, Dan could still recall how the song went, but it wasn’t buzzing through his veins like it needed to get out anymore. And that felt good.

“Okay, the _fuck_ did he go?” Jimmy asked immediately, referring to the fact that Mark had just disappeared after Arin and Danny’s spell, shadow monsters and all.

Brian, happy as always to offer an explanation, obliged. “With the curse lifted and the city restored, Mark and his curse were vanquished. It seemed like all that was keeping him alive at this point was his magic, and without that I’m hard pressed to see a way he could’ve survived.”

Jimmy considered that for a second, speaking slowly. “So what you’re saying is… he’s _super_ fucked?”

Brian nodded in respectful assent. “Super fucked,” he echoed.

“Good,” Jimmy nodded, and Holly came over to ruffle his hair, straightening her own feathers as she did. Leighton was honest to god smiling, which was a feat within itself. She gripped Vernon’s forearm in a sort of warrior’s embrace, something which Vernon obviously felt a little uncomfortable receiving, probably because he never imagined he’d be deserving of one. Ross walked over to Brian and put his forehead on the older man’s shoulder, sinking into Brian with the complete exhaustion he felt. Brian brought a hand to Ross’s back and moved it in slow circles, using the movement to calm his own nerves.

Holding tightly onto each other’s hand, Arin and Dan went around the group singing healing spells, trying to ease some of the wounds Mark’s monsters had left. They were a few minutes into this when they realized that the rest of the group was distracted by something, all looking towards the shattered window.

Standing in front of the newly made opening, cloaked in sunlight were two figures, a man and a woman. They were dressed in deep royal reds and purples and they smiled as they walked. As they stepped out of the dazzling sun, the party recognized who they were in the presence of and bowed their heads in respect.

“My liege,” Arin said, letting go of Dan’s hand to approach the King and Queen of Mensa Navis. He kneeled before them, eyes cast down. The King chuckled a bit.

“Rise, Arin. You are our friend. You’ve saved us,” he said, his voice deep and friendly and oddly… familiar. Dan raised his bowed head, squinting through the sunlight to make out who these two figures were. And _holy shit,_ that was Suzy and Barry, the two storytellers who had told Danny about Dissonyth in the first place. _Fuck._

“Please,” Queen Suzy said, her kind voice floating above their heads, “rise, all of you.” Dan stood up, joining his friends as they stood around Barry and Suzy. “You’ve done well by your country,” she said, a warm smile gracing her formal tone, “and have earned our personal gratitude. Each and every one of you have put everything on the line for Mensa Navis, and we are in your highest debt. Anything you wish of us that we have the power to grant is yours.” A chorus of thank yous were murmured by the stunned group. Suzy nodded cordially and turned her attention to Arin. “Arin,” she said, choked up by her own tears. “I want to apologize for hiding from you for so long. We just couldn’t-”

Arin nodded, letting her stop there. “I understand.”

“We are so proud of you,” Suzy said. “We missed you so fucking much.” She had dropped her royal tongue, speaking not as Mensa Navis’s Queen, but as Arin’s friend. She pulled Arin in for a hug, and Barry joined in happily. Dan smiled, glad that _something_ from Arin’s past had made it through Mark’s curse, even if it was just two people.

“ _So_ ,” Barry said as he pulled away from Arin, looking slyly at Danny. “Who’s the boy?”

The group laughed at that, everyone but Dan and Arin taking that as their cue to start seeing to other things. Dan stepped forward, introducing himself to the King and Queen. “Daniel Avidan, your majesties,” he said with a bow. He peered up at them coyly, one eyebrow raised. “But you already knew that, didn’t you?”

Suzy and Barry both laughed, nodding as they did. “Very perceptive,” Barry said. “Yes, we did. Arin, we sent him him to you, you know. We were the ones who told him of Dissonyth and the lost spells.”

“Which are where, by the way?” Dan interjected, cutting off the perplexed _why didn’t you tell me that?_ look Arin was shooting at him.

Arin furrowed his brow in concentration, thinking to himself for a moment. “Hmm,” he hummed to himself, clearly as clueless as Dan was. “That’s a, um, good question…”

Suzy nodded in understanding, turning to Dan. “This is an excellent segway into what Barry and I wanted to ask you.” She straightened to her full height, looking Dan square in the eye. “Daniel Avidan, would you do the city of Mensa Navis the honor of taking the position of first magical advisor to the throne, alongside our own Arin Hanson?”

Arin latched onto Danny’s hand, squeezing it as tightly as possible and looking at Dan with impossibly wide eyes. Dan was impressed that he didn’t start jumping up and down and yelling “YES YES YES DANNY DO IT!” like he looked like he wanted to - he apparently deemed that too much for the King and Queen. Danny interlocked his fingers with Arin, relishing the contact and never wanting to let go. “I’d be honored,” he nodded, unable to keep the smile off his face. Barry and Suzy laughed happily, and soon Arin and Dan were joining in, basking in the setting sun of the newly restored Mensa Navis.

 

The restoration effort had been a large one, especially since so many ancient spells were still missing. As first magical advisors to the throne, Arin and Danny’s primary task was recovering the lost spells. They were forced to discover the scrolls one by one, since it seemed that Mark had spread across the country randomly. It was slow going, tracking each spell down individually, but Arin and Dan didn’t really mind. It was far from a hopeless endeavour - actually, it was kind of fun. When they weren’t out searching for lost spells, Arin and Dan spent their time in Mensa Navis, where they lived together in Arin’s old house. Dan had acquired some musical fame as a bard, the lute Arin had crafted for him becoming something of a pop culture icon across the kingdom. Arin worked closely with Ross and Brian studying magic, always sure to share his findings with Danny to improve his mage skills.

A few months after Mark was vanquished, Matt and Ryan began starting up some hijinks of their own. Nothing truly evil, not even close; really, anyone with patience and basic logic could’ve easily foiled their plans. Despite this, Arin and Danny asked to be tasked with taking care of them, just for old times sake. As time went on, it seemed that Matt and Ryan were pulling stunts simply to see Arin and Danny again rather than for any real evil purpose. It was sort of refreshing, seeing those two every once in a while. They were always a good time, especially because Arin and Dan could deal with them armed with nothing more than a loving eye roll.

Suzy and Barry had easily regained support as reigning monarchs, and were currently trying to clean up the ramifications of Mark’s usurping. Arin and Dan became their closest advisors on the matter, and maintained a great friendship on top of it.

More than anything, Dan was shocked at how easy everything had been. The realization that he and Arin loved each other seemed like the most obvious thing in the world now that he had it all figured out. Everything just felt _right_ alongside Arin. The way their fingers fit together, the way Arin’s lips pressed against his skin, the way Arin’s heartbeat filled in the skips of his own. Before, Dan had never really known what a soulmate was, but he knew now that he’d found one in Arin. They were two parts of a bigger picture, two lines of a song in perfect harmony. Danny couldn’t imagine who he would be without Arin.

Yeah, Dan loved his life.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you guys enjoyed!! you can find me at tumblr on my [main](http://libertinebucky.tumblr.com) or my [gg sideblog](http://dannysexbabe.tumblr.com/) if u wanna yell about this au with me!


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